First Encounters
by Cherylann Rivers
Summary: This is the story of the significance of "First Times" in life. It tells the story of Frank Hardy and Callie Shaw's relationship through the years, from teenagers through adulthood. The story also has several appearances by Joe Hardy and Vanessa Bender. Please see the "Author's Note" at the start of the story for additional information. The story is 10 chapters long.
1. Chapter 1

First Encounters

Author's note:

This story was begging to be written—literally. It came out of nowhere and it wouldn't leave me alone until I got it down on paper. This story is unlike anything I have written before. There is no real mystery; it is, rather, a compilation of scenes that made their way into a story that ties the scenes together.

It is a story that tells about the significance of "firsts" in life. This is the story of Callie Shaw and Frank Hardy's relationship as it appears to me (at least in this small universe). Of course, there could not be a story of Frank and Callie without the people who are closest to them; to that end, Joe and Vanessa make several appearances.

This little effort is a character study for me. As Frank and Callie's relationship progresses, so, too, do I try to mirror my writing style and the length of the chapters to reflect that. There is suggestive material in several chapters, but nothing graphic.

As with all my stories, this one is completed. I will post chapters every three days or so. Thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope you enjoy it.


	2. Chapter 2

First Encounters

Chapter 1 - The First Date

 _Callie Shaw smiled in anticipation of what the night held in store. In less than an hour, Frank would be home from work and ready to take her out to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary with her brother- in -law, Joe, and his fiancée, her best friend, Vanessa. She had told Frank that she was totally fine spending their anniversary with family, since Joe and Vanessa's wedding was only two weeks away and she wanted this time to be about them. Besides, later... Frank would be with her alone, and she knew it would be just another magical memory in their amazing ten years together. Maybe the most special of all, she thought wistfully._

 _She took out some of her favorite pictures through the years and, though she knew she didn't really have time to think about them all now, she started reminiscing. Coming across the first one, she started laughing at the startled girl in the frame._

Fifteen _  
_

Callie stared in the mirror, scrutinizing her outfit for the umpteenth time.

With a sigh, she flopped back on her bed. A dress would be too formal; wearing a skirt and pretty blouse would not only be too formal, but it would also look like she was _trying_ to be too formal. Blazer, blouse, sweater, pants, jeans, leggings... the choices were endless, and she wanted tonight to be absolutely perfect. Sure, it was only a date at the mall- probably pizza and then a movie- but it was her first date. And it was with the most handsome boy she had ever seen.

"Well, jeans it is, I guess," she muttered to herself. Deciding on a red blouse as well- Frank had mentioned once that he thought she looked pretty in that color- she got dressed, pulling her long blonde hair back in a braid and applying small diamond earrings and the most minimal amount of makeup. Looking in the mirror, she bit her lip hesitantly. Would it do? Maybe she should look again for a different outfit…

"Callie!" she heard her mother call from downstairs, after hearing the doorbell ring. "Your date's here, honey."

Callie felt her heart start pounding in her chest. Taking a deep breath, she paused only a moment to apply a bit of perfume. This was it.

Walking downstairs slowly, she paused at the top of the stairs for a moment, and almost froze. But then- he looked up at her. And he smiled, that warm, engaging, shy smile that had melted her heart the first time she saw him.

"Hi," she said, in a voice so low she hardly recognized it.

"Hey," he answered. "You look really pretty." He handed her a single rose.

Callie felt the color rise to her cheeks. "Thanks," she responded. "It's... beautiful."

There was a moment of silence as they both stared at each other.

"Well, we need to get a picture of this!" Callie heard her dad chime in, entering the foyer with his huge digital camera. "It's your first date, honey- we have to remember it!"

"Oh my god, Dad!" Callie covered her mouth, mortified. Yes, it was her first date, but Frank didn't need to know that! "Please!"

"It's fine," she heard Frank say, kindly, with a smile.

"See? There you go! I like him already!" her dad teased. "Stand over there- hold the rose. It's just a few shots. Then you two can head out. You have your proper driving permits, don't you, son?"

"Dad!" Callie moaned. She felt her face flush bright red. This was going absolutely terrible! She blinked back tears that she hoped no one could see.

"Yes, Sir," Frank replied, not looking remotely put out. "I do. I haven't even gotten any tickets yet," he said with a totally serious expression.

Callie's parents laughed, but Callie couldn't even meet his eyes.

Before she knew what was going on, she felt Frank's arm around her and felt herself clinging to the rose as if her life depended on it. He was touching her! She took another deep breath before forcing a smile for the camera. _Oh, well. I might as well enjoy it now,_ she thought sadly. It was probably the only time he would even notice her.

"Okay, kids! Have fun!" Callie's dad said with a smile and a small wave. And before she knew what she was doing, she found herself headed out the door, following Frank.

As they approached Frank's car, he asked, "You okay?" at the exact same time that she said, "I'm so sorry."

Frank chuckled. "There's nothing to be sorry for. Your parents seem nice," he said.

Callie finally met his eyes, again transfixed at how handsome he was. "That's one way of putting it," she managed.

He just smiled, and went around and opened the passenger door for her.

Most of the drive to the restaurant was spent in idle small talk. By the time they arrived at the restaurant, Callie was fighting to control her emotions. How had it all gone so wrong, so quickly? This might turn out to be the worst day of her life.

"So, this is your first date?" Frank asked softly, turning off the engine.

Oh no! He had paid attention to her dad! All at once, she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She was trying not to cry and knew what a lunatic she must look like. "I… you.. can drop me off here. I understand. I... I'm sorry..." With shaking hands, she reached for the door handle.

"Whoa! Wait! What's the matter?!" Frank asked.

She wiped back tears. When she managed to look up, she saw nothing but concern in his eyes. "I've messed this up. I'm sorry. I... I'm not normally like this. I..." her voice broke. "Yes, this is my first date. Please don't tell everyone at school how I messed up. I..."

At once, Frank took her hand. She froze.

"Wanna go for a walk?" he asked. "I picked this place because it's NOT in the mall. I thought it would be nice to get to know you away from everyone else. It's a pretty nice day out for this time of year."

Callie felt her heart skip a beat. As though he could sense her shock, he got out of the car and offered her his hand again. She swallowed hard before before getting out and following him.

They walked in silence for a good ten minutes before she realized that he had found a bench overlooking a small pond. With the leaves changing in the distance, it was breathtaking. Still, she couldn't look up.

"Callie?"

She almost jumped when she heard him say her name, felt his hand, gentle, on her back.

She met his eyes, saw his expression-so kind, so sweet. "It's my first date, too."

"No way!" she gasped, and covered her mouth when she realized she had said it out loud.

Frank laughed in surprise, which caused her to chuckle as well.

"And while you might be embarrassed by your dad, think of the start I'm off to, making a girl cry on my first date ever. That's worse," he replied, with a small grin.

"Oh, Frank," she replied, at once feeling more comfortable. It had taken her close to two months to try to get him interested in her, but, once they had actually started talking, just as friends, she had found him intelligent, funny, and easy to talk to. Slowly, that comfortability was coming back. "I really am sorry. It's just... well, I'm nervous!" She bit her lip.

"Well, I'm nervous too," he answered, blushing.

"You?! Why? It's just me. We talked a lot in school. I..." she paused, then, blushing again, figured she might as well tell him the truth. "I... you know... I mean, I like you." Again, she felt her face bright red. "I don't know how to act on a date. I thought you weren't really interested in me."

"Why wouldn't I be interested in you?" he asked. Then, to he utter amazement, he added, "I like you, too."

"You... you do?" she stammered. She felt her heart beat, could feel the pulsing.

"What do you say we start over?" he asked, softly. "Because I'd really like not to mess this up."

"Okay," she managed. She couldn't look away.

And then, before she knew what was happening, she felt his hand on her cheek, and his lips against hers. It was her first kiss, and it was both sweet and tender and yet left her tingling, wanting more. "That's also my first kiss," she whispered, eyes still closed.

"Mine, too," she heard before he kissed her again.

After a few minutes, she looked up. At once, the nerves disappeared; the excitement did not.

"Well, Frank Hardy," she said in a low voice, "I guess this just might turn out to be a pretty amazing date, after all."

He stood up and reached down for her. "Want to go to dinner now? I really would like to talk to you."

"Me, too," she managed.

He never let go of her hand.


	3. Chapter 3

Note: _Thank you all for the lovely reviews. Red- to answer your question, there are many, many Joe scenes in this story, especially in the later chapters, and you will definitely see Callie and Joe's relationship change as they get older. SnowPrincess, thanks for noticing all the small details, as always. EastBlue, you made me smile; genuinely. I hope you enjoy the story! Thanks to Max2013 for reading and TinDog for "getting" what I was going for! I appreciate the feedback and decided to try to post every two days if I can. I think you'll all see the chapters starting to get longer and more complex as Callie and Frank grow up. :)_

 _First Encounters_

Chapter 2- The First "I Love You"

 _Callie flipped to the next picture she had selected, barely recognizing the young couple glancing back at her. What she did remember, though, was the feeling that that picture brought to her, and it warmed her heart thinking that it was the very first time she knew for certain that she had fallen madly in love. It was hard to believe that it captured the first time, because Frank had told her those words every day since, many times a day. And each time, the phrase meant a little more. But that first time… it changed her life._

Sixteen

"Joe! Would you STOP already?!" Callie said, exasperated, as Joe took the opportunity to fling yet more sand at her as she, Joe, Iola, and Frank relaxed at the beach on a gorgeous August morning.

"Come on, Callie!" Joe countered, defiance in his eyes. "Have a little fun, won't ya?"

Callie bit her tongue. Joe was so annoying sometimes- all the time, really. He was constantly teasing her, and she would normally fight back, but she saw how it had started to put a strain on her relationship with Frank. He was so protective of Joe and spent more of his time with him than she really thought necessary. Were it not for that fact, and the fact that Joe was dating her good friend, Iola Morton, she would have really unleashed on him.

"Smile!" Iola's voice called out, and somehow she managed to capture the amusement on Joe's face, the rage on hers, and the exasperation on Frank's. It was a picture that would epitomize their relationship for years.

"You know what, Joe? I've had about enough of you!" she finally retorted. "I'm just trying to have a nice day! Why do you always have to try to show off? No one cares!"

"Awww…" Joe answered. "Did I offend you, Callie? Sorry. I thought you were tougher than that." He smirked.

"That's all you understand, isn't it?" she answered, standing up. "Be tough. Be macho. Be a stupid jock. It's not so hard to hold a coherent conversation once in awhile, is it?" She put her hands on her hips, angry.

"Callie…" she heard Frank's voice in the background, almost heard the warning in it.

"See? See, Frank?!" Joe called out, gesticulating wildly. "She calls me the dumb jock- funny- she never says that about _you_ , and you play the same sports I do. She makes no sense!"

"Joe…" Again, Frank's voice belied his growing anger.

"What?!" she and Joe yelled together.

"Knock it off!" Frank answered, frustrated.

"You're always taking her side just because she's your girlfriend!" Joe countered, challenging his brother.

"Enough!" Frank yelled, which he almost never did.

"Yeah, it IS enough!" Callie found herself yelling back. And it was. She had had enough of the constant arguing, the double dates, the time spent with Joe when he obviously could have spent it with her. She turned to Frank. " I know he's your brother, but I'm done! Spend your time with him- it's what you obviously want." With that, she turned on her heel, threw on her cover up, grabbed her beach bag, and headed away. She ignored Iola and Frank calling her name from a distance.

Callie ran as fast she could in the sand before finally making it to the boardwalk. Once she was confident she was out of sight, she sat down on a bench overlooking the shore and willed herself not to cry. She knew other girls would think she was crazy; no one would talk that way to the handsome Hardy brothers. They'd probably just sit and look pretty and giggle at nonsense. But she wasn't like other girls. She had a voice; an opinion. She was always open and honest with Frank, and she exuded a confidence when he was around other girls that she was secure in their relationship. In truth, her bravado was more staged than anything. She had realized, very quickly after their first date, that she was falling in love with him. But she wasn't sure he felt the same, especially with everything… with Joe…

She sighed and looked at her watch- which ended up being the tan line where her watch had been. _Great_. Now what was she going to do? Call a cab? She barely had any money with her. And then what would she do? She had never really fought with Frank before, but the last few months things were getting pretty intense with her and Joe.

 _Idiot._ She chastised herself, and wiped away the few tears that had managed to fall. She had given him the ultimatum that had been hovering on her lips for some time now- choose her or Joe- but she knew who he'd choose. It was over.

She heard her cell phone ring go off constantly to the point where she had to silence it. Glancing down, she noticed that she had received several texts. She couldn't bear to read them. After what seemed like an eternity, she stood up to go- maybe she would call her parents- when she literally ran into Frank.

"You could've answered your phone," he said, simply, but she saw the worry in his eyes, the way he almost looked like he wanted to hug her, but had stopped himself from doing so.

"Sorry," she murmured, looking down.

Then he did the total opposite of what she had expected. He didn't yell; he didn't sound angry at all. Instead, he pulled her into his arms, and held onto her tightly.

Callie felt her resolve wane. She buried her face in his shoulder wrapped her arms around him. After a few minutes, she stepped back, warily.

"This has to stop," he said to her, firmly but gently, and he sat down next to her and held her hand. She went to reply, but he covered her mouth with his finger. "Let me finish," he went on."I know what you're going to say. And yes- sometimes it IS Joe's fault. Today it was. But I can't do this anymore!"

He leaned back against the bench for moment before turning to her again. She waited, knowing he was gathering his thoughts. "Cal," he started again, "I won't choose between you and my brother. I won't do it. I know you don't know Joe, but if you did, you'd see what a great person he is."

Callie remained silent, watching him closely.

"And he doesn't know you! You're both smart, you're both funny, and you're both incredibly stubborn!"

He stood and faced the ocean, leaning on the railing. The ocean breeze ruffled his hair, and Callie was struck again by how very handsome he was, but also by the pain she had caused him. And she felt bad about it. If putting up with Joe Hardy was the one thing that would allow her to have a relationship with Frank, then it was a price she was willing to pay.

"I'm sorry, Frank," she replied, standing behind him and gently rubbing his back. "I'll try harder."

Frank stared straight ahead again, and sighed. "It's just so hard," he said softly. "I love you both, and I just wish you'd get along."

Callie gasped. What- what had he said?

He turned to her, and then realized what he had uttered so casually. He smiled when he saw her reaction. Reaching for her, he pulled her close, tenderly pushing back a piece of golden blonde hair that had blown loose in the wind. She felt her mouth go dry.

"Of course I love you, Callie," he managed, staring intently into her eyes. "And I have, almost from the first moment I saw you." He paused. Callie thought she might faint. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I planned to make it special, not to… you know... avoid a breakup. I love you,"' he whispered again, and kissed her with a passion and intensity she had never felt before.

"I love you, too," she managed, trying to catch her breath. Their second kiss was broken only by the sound of Joe's voice from afar. "Knock it off, you two!" he called. "So embarrassing!"

Callie looked at Joe in the distance, and she held back a laugh as he hugged Iola to him and engaged her in a rather enthusiastic kiss, himself.

"I think Joe and I will be okay... eventually," she managed, softly, as she settled into Frank's embrace.

She wondered if life got any better than this.


	4. Chapter 4

Note: Thank you for the reviews Red, Tin Dog, Paulina Ann, SnowPrincess 88, and Max 2013. I believe I sent all of you PMs. I appreciate you taking the time to read and leave feedback. This is a shorter chapter for obvious reasons, but, in my world, it would have to have been a first for them...

First Encounters

Chapter 3- The First Time

 _Callie closed her eyes as memories of that first kiss overtook her. Even now, all these years later, she still felt the same way. Frank's kisses and touch still made her weak and caused her heart to beat a little faster. She bit her lip and blushed as she thought back to that day when she had wondered if life could get any better than that moment._

 _She flipped to a picture of the junior prom. By then, their relationship had progressed significantly. The couple there looked more worldly, but more in love. Yes, she paused, still blushing. Yes, life could get better than that moment._

Seventeen

It was a gorgeous evening, and the whole summer was in front of them. Life was good, filled with friends and fun. Fun- Callie blushed. You could call it that.

She sat on the porch at her parents' house and let her mind wander. Iola was supposed to come over soon, but it wasn't Iola who was on her mind. It was Frank; it was always Frank.

They'd been dating for almost two years now, and every day she fell more in love with him. She worried when he and Joe were on their cases, more than she probably should have. She'd seen up close how dangerous those cases could be and had insisted on getting involved. And though she would never admit it, a part of her was scared to know what the boys did, scared to see them get hurt. Half the time she only got involved to spend time with Frank; the rest of the time it was to prove Joe was wrong about her. Their relationship was still strained, but it was bearable. Joe could be charming and funny at times, but she still wished he didn't take so much of Frank's time.

But when she was alone with Frank, she had the most amazing time of her life. He made her feel protected, valued, truly loved. She felt safe in his arms and cherished all the time. He was also rapidly becoming her best friend, and she knew he felt the same. They talked about everything. He was quiet, but hilarious; laid back, but athletic; occasionally nerdy, but "a guy's guy". He had just a little of the bad boy edge that Joe was filled with, and yet he was the kind of guy who any parent would love their daughter to date. He was, to her, perfect.

Which is why it was so, so hard to stop at the kisses, the caresses, the simple hand holding. They had that, of course, but things had progressed way beyond that, making her- their- virginity more of a technicality than anything else. There was little else they could do at this point other than to take it to the next level.

He never pressured her. As much as they had often desired to go all the way, he had wanted to make sure that she was ready- totally and completely- knowing it was a step that couldn't be reversed once it was taken.

At first she wasn't. She had always pictured herself as a virgin bride, old fashioned as the idea had been. She feared that maybe, deep down, no one else would want her if it didn't work out with Frank. After all, they were only juniors in high school. She had been scared it would change their relationship-she knew it would, and she never wanted to doubt that Frank was with her only because she was sleeping with him, and not because he really loved her.

But when looked into his eyes, she knew. She saw the love, the desire… but also the friendship; the trust. She hoped that she would marry Frank one day, but she was realistic enough to know that the possibility existed that it wouldn't work out. Yet she knew one thing for sure- Frank Hardy was her first true love, and even if he wasn't her last, she wanted to share this precious experience with him.

Seeing Iola's car pull up at the curb, she sighed contentedly. It would happen this weekend, and, as much as she trusted Iola, she wouldn't tell her or anyone else. And she knew Frank wouldn't say anything, either. This was for them only, as it should be.

Several days later, she and Frank arrived at the beautiful hotel overlooking the very same beach at which he told her that he loved her. She didn't know where Frank was planning on taking her, but she trusted him, as always. She had no idea how he had managed to procure a hotel room, but he was a detective; surely fake IDs were easy enough to come by. His parents were away for the weekend and always gave both him and Joe a lot of freedom anyway. Her parents were not nearly as lax, but they were also away. She also had a strong suspicion that they knew that her relationship with Frank wasn't quite as chaste as they would have hoped it to be. Had it been anyone BUT Frank, she had a very strong notion that they would have been a whole lot stricter than they were, as though they somehow accepted the inevitable, though they never actually discussed it.

It was raining lightly out, and Frank grabbed their bags as he checked in. As they entered through the door, suddenly quiet, Callie was struck by the beauty of the room, with its big balcony and bed facing the ocean. It was romantic and very "adult", and she felt a little dizzy at how important this moment would be. How was she supposed to feel at this moment? Scared? Excited? Overwhelmed? Yes- that was it. Absolutely overwhelmed.

Sensing her nervousness, she felt Frank wrap his arms around her from behind and kiss her cheek. Then, backing off, he shocked her by flopping back on a chair near the bed and flipping on the TV.

She turned around, raising her eyebrows.

Frank looked at her innocently and shrugged. "What? The Yankees game starts in 10 minutes." He gave her a wink.

Callie burst out laughing and Frank chuckled along. Immediately, she relaxed.

He got up and gently took her in his arms, the sparkle still in his eyes. "Relax. And if you change your mind at any time, I'm okay with it." He gently stroked her cheek. "This is a big deal, and you know that I love you whether we take this step or not." She watched his eyes, seeing just the slightest bit of nervousness behind his confidence. "And we can wait until you're ready," he went on. "I mean, we have the whole weekend and.."

Callie cut him off with a kiss that conveyed her desire. "Stop talking…" she whispered.

Frank smiled quickly and murmured, "But the Yankees..." before pulling her into a kiss so deep she thought she'd melt into him.

She relaxed against him as he lifted her up and gently laid her down on the bed, his urgent but tender touches burning her body as she gave herself over to him completely.

And they barely left the room for the entire weekend. It was more beautiful than what she could have imagined.


	5. Chapter 5

Note: A sincere thank you to EastBlue, Red, TinDog, Max2013, and Paulina Ann for the reviews. Each and every one of them made me smile and were much appreciated. I hope everyone enjoys the story!

First Encounters

Chapter 4- The First Loss

 _Callie allowed herself a few more minutes to remember that amazing weekend so many years ago. She could still feel Frank's touch, his desire, and she reflected again on how truly lucky she was to have had such a wonderful experience. It had been repeated many times in various different ways, and she knew that again, tonight, it would be equally as amazing, if not more so. Tonight- she couldn't wait… for so many reasons._

 _Callie pulled out Joe and Vanessa's engagement picture and smiled. They were a beautiful couple, and were meant for each other, as she and Frank were meant to be. She had to smile when she thought of how far she and Joe had come in their relationship, how she loved him as the brother she never had._

 _Then a brief wave of sadness overcame her as she pulled out a picture of Iola, her fun-loving, sassy, and lovely friend- and Joe's first love-who had died in bomb meant for the Hardys. She shivered involuntarily, reminded again of the magnitude of the loss and how very close she had been to losing Frank forever. It was an experience that came all too often, as she stayed up countless nights fearing that Frank would one day not come home. Yet, had it not been for Iola's death, she knew that her relationship with Joe- with Frank- would have been so different. I miss you, Iola, she whispered. But thank you for watching over our loves._

Eighteen

Callie took a deep breath before entering the church service. It was packed with hundreds of people, but it was only two she wanted - needed- to see.

As if he could read her thoughts, she caught sight of Frank in the distance, rushing up to him as quickly as she could in her heels. She had cried herself to sleep the last few nights; hadn't even spoken with Frank or Joe, hearing and seeing the explosion over and over again. God, how had this happened?!

She finally caught up to her boyfriend, who looked pale and shocked. She imagined she looked much the same. He didn't say a word; just reached for her hand.

Finally, she managed, "How is he?"

Frank shook his head, his voice clipped. "Not good, Cal."

She squeezed his hand.

"He's inside. He's barely spoken. I… last night, I heard him screaming…" He paused, and Callie knew he thought he'd said too much.

She released his hand, wrapped an arm around him, and headed with him into the chapel.

It was awful. Absolute hell. She felt Frank trembling as he held her arm so tightly it almost hurt; watched Joe, shaking like he was going to pass out; watched Chet, completely pale and in shock; heard the muffled sobs and not so muffled screams as the priest tried to explain the inexplicable. She tried to hold it together for Frank, she really did. But at one point it was so overwhelming she felt as if she would pass out. It was only then that she felt Frank release her arm and pull her close, arm around her waist firmly, literally supporting her.

At the end of the service, he told her, gruffly, that he needed to see Joe. Of course. She understood. But as he took several steps forward, she saw him turn around and come back to her, crushing her to him in a powerful hug that almost took her breath away.

That was the last time she had seen him or heard from him in a month, other than helping with a case shortly afterwards. She understood; she really did, but she missed him terribly. She had loved Iola; she had been there when she died. And now she felt truly alone. School was a blur. Even in classes she had with Frank they barely spoke, and she had no idea why.

The holidays were awful. Everyone in Bayport seemed to be mourning the loss of innocent life, and Joe was ostensibly going crazy. He had withdrawn into himself deeply and Callie knew in her heart that that's where Frank was, desperately trying to save Joe from himself. But who would help her? And who, she realized with a shiver, would help Frank? As much as she wanted to reach out to him, she didn't; she respected his need to be alone. But she feared for him; for them.

Then one day, about six weeks after Iola's death, before Christmas, Frank had come by her house- just like that. He looked so utterly alone that she couldn't even be mad or disappointed in him. She went outside immediately and held him in her arms as he clung to her desperately. Finally, he pulled back, and she was shocked to see him fighting tears.

"I'm sorry, Cal," he managed. He took her hand and led her back inside. "I know I should have been there for you. I know- and I'm sorry."

She saw him struggling for words. "It's okay," she answered, gently touching his cheek.

"No, it's not," he answered firmly. He led her into the living room and sat on the couch, pulling her onto his lap and encircling his arms around her.

"Just please know," he continued, his voice thick with emotion, "that I thought of you all the time. There's so much to talk about. I just…" He blinked back tears. "It's just too much right now. I'm sorry, baby."

Callie's heart ached seeing him in pain. She'd never quite seen him, in all these years, struggling for control like this and she truly knew in that moment how much Joe's actions were breaking his heart; how much he loved his brother. When would the person who took care of everyone else have someone to take care of him, to let him know everything would be okay? That was up to her, she realized almost immediately. Callie then resisted the urge to just have him hold her, as she had needed so badly for him to do the last two months, and tried to be strong; because she loved him enough to put him first.

"Is Joe as bad as he looks?" she asked, timidly.

"Worse," Frank croaked in reply. She kissed him lightly and held him, sensing that he needed her badly right then. And he did.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Months went by. Callie felt the emptiness of Iola's presence acutely, but was grateful for the distraction of helping Frank try to save Joe, who'd been on the worst self-destructive streak she had ever witnessed. It was heartbreaking to see Joe going from withdrawing, to dating every girl he seemingly saw, to getting in trouble all the time. It was wearing Frank down. She had been patient and knew that Frank's time was literally not his own any more. She knew that he needed her for support.

She also sensed a very real internal conflict in Frank, yet he never verbalized it- though it would come up countless times in one way or another for a long time. She knew he was torn between keeping her close and keeping her safe, which, he perceived, was at a distance. But she wouldn't let him push her away; she was too invested for that.

In March, she had just about had enough. Joe was out of control, Frank was miserable, and she still couldn't process Iola's loss fully. The only thing that gave her hope was that Joe had met a new girl- Vanessa Bender- who neither knew Iola nor cared about Joe's reputation. And slowly, very slowly, she saw him start to straighten out.

It was time.

Callie rang the bell at the Hardy home, knowing full well that Joe was cutting school- again- and that he would be home. Frank had to be at school today because there was a major Calc test. _So I'm the moron who cuts school too to see if I can finally talk to Joe, s_ he thought warily. She had no plan. But she had to speak up on behalf of Frank.

"Joe!" she called, pounding on the door. "I know you're in there. Let me in. It's Callie."

Finally, a disheveled looking Joe came to the door, staring at Callie in surprise. "What do you want?" he asked, gruffly.

Callie pushed her way in and turned to him. "To talk to you," she said pointedly.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" he asked.

"Shouldn't YOU be?" she retorted.

"What do you want, Callie?" he asked again, but it was with less vitriol than she would have expected.

And her own answer surprised her even more. "I want to see if you're okay."

Joe stood still before shrugging. "I'm fine."

"I doubt that," she said steadily.

"It's really none of your business," he answered flatly.

"It is", she answered, and all of a sudden she found her voice catching, unexpectedly emotional. "It's my business because of several things. One- even though you always hated me, I kind of considered you my friend. Two- Iola was one of my closest friends in the world, and she would be PISSED that you're destroying your life like this. And three-like it or not, I love your brother very much- and this is KILLING him, seeing you act this way." Despite her best efforts, she felt a few hot tears slip onto her cheeks, which she quickly wiped away.

All of a sudden, six months worth of stress, sadness, anger, and loss came out at once. She had no idea what came over her, but she shoved Joe back-hard. Despite being much taller and muscular than her, she had no fear of him. And she was right; Joe looked stunned, but didn't raise a hand to her.

"I know you hate me!" she sobbed. "And I know you wish I would have died and not Iola. I get it!" She took a shaky breath as the tears continued. "But you're being such an ASS!" Voice breaking, she continued. "I loved Iola, too, you know. A lot of people did. And I care about you, Joe! Not just because you're Frank's brother, but because you were my friend, too- kind of." Shaking, she wiped back her tears.

"Please. PLEASE. Knock it off. You're ruining Frank's life and your parents and your friends-and more importantly you're RUINING YOUR OWN! Stop!" Callie was almost hysterical now and could think of only one thing to do. Quickly maneuvering past Joe, she ran outside. She had to get out of there.

A week later, Joe showed up on her doorstep. He shocked her, handing her a stuffed animal that, she saw right away, had been one of Iola's. He said only four words. "I don't hate you." He looked at her as though he wanted to say more, and yet conversely as though he had said or done too much. His piercing bright blue eyes met her dark ones for a very brief, but intense, instant. And as he turned away, he paused for the briefest of moments and added, simply, "thanks." Then he was gone.

And the next day, Frank had come over and wordlessly taken her in his arms. When he pulled back, his eyes were filled with tears. "I have no idea what you did," he managed, voice catching, "but thank you."

Yes, the first loss she had experienced in her relationship with Frank had been devastating. But somehow- it had made them stronger.


	6. Chapter 6

Note: _First, a sincere thank you to those of you who were kind enough to leave a review: Red, Max2013, Paulina Ann, Jilsen, EastBlue (That's sweet that you remembered that scene in "Fire and Ice"- how lovely. I am trying to build the relationship between Joe and Callie slowly in this story, and it will involve much back and forth until about chapter 7), and SnowPrincess (I know the review was on the last chapter, but it was great. Frank is also my book boyfriend, so I suppose we will have to share. ;) ). Also, this scene insisted on coming out. It always bothered me that the idealized Frank Hardy would have kissed Nancy Drew twice in the SuperMysteries, and so I wondered- what if Callie found out somehow? How would she react? This chapter is my answer._

First Encounters

Chapter 5- The First (and Only) Breakup

 _Callie looked at her watch. Time seemed to be moving more slowly than ever. Glancing down, she heard her cell phone buzz and looked up from her pictures to take it off the end table. At once, she smiled. "Happy Anniversary, sweetheart. Can't wait to see you. Be home soon." It was followed by a meme of a beating heart with a ribbon._

 _She smiled softly and texted back, "Love you, too. Be careful. See you soon," before putting the phone back on the table. Glancing through more pictures, she felt her breath catch a bit. Senior prom, graduation, graduation parties... and then nothing._

 _No pictures of her and Frank; instead, she looked down and saw a picture of her and a charming, ridiculously good- looking man. He had his arm around her, and they were both smiling. Callie closed her eyes as she thought about him and then looked again at the picture fondly. She had survived, that was all-and she saw the total emptiness in her eyes, which she had tried so hard to hide behind her smile. He understood, though; he always did. She took a moment more to look at her wedding ring, and thought again how blessed she had been to make it with Frank. And other than him, the handsome man in the picture, that year and a half had been the worst time of her life._

Nineteen

Callie was crying, harder than she could ever remember. It had been three days- three days of hell- since she had found out about it. And it only got harder.

 _Nancy Drew_. It was a name she had thought nothing of, a friend of Frank and Joe's who lived halfway around the country and who was a formidable detective in her own right. She had met her once or twice, and, while Nancy had been really pretty, she had also been pretty nice. Never, never would she have thought Frank would have betrayed her like this.

She had ignored the innuendos by Joe, the secret smirks he had sent to Frank. She had ignored the fact that when they were working on a case, Frank had been especially difficult to contact. She even ignored how, after he had come home from those cases, he had either pulled away from her or had been especially demonstrative. And why shouldn't she have ignored it, she asked herself for the hundredth time. _I trusted him._

But ultimately she had seen a picture of the two of them, and she knew- and she had felt the blood drain from her face, and then the tears had started, and they hadn't finished.

She'd ignored his calls and avoided him. When he finally begged her to tell him what was wrong, she had just sent him a copy of the picture. Later, she had found out that the picture had been sent to her by someone trying to win Frank for herself, someone who knew both of them. But it didn't matter. He had cheated on her.

And now she was leaving for college, literally across the country, and what was she to do? Any hope of a long distance relationship, which she had never doubted they could make work, descended on her like bricks. The timing could not have been worse.

She knew he was waiting outside, and she knew she had to face him. She wasn't ready and she knew that, too- her roiling emotions prepared her only for the fact that she would be unprepared.

"What?!" she asked, opening the door and crossing her arms. She didn't even try to hide the tears.

He looked devastated; she'd give him that. "Callie, I'm sorry…" he began, reaching for her, but she jumped back. He looked stunned.

"You're SORRY?! You cheated on me- more than once- with that girl- and who knows who else?- and all you can say is you're sorry?!"

"You don't understand," Frank tried to explain, desperate.

"You're damn right I don't understand!" she sobbed. "Why?" It was all she could manage, her lips quivering.

"Callie, please," Frank began again, but then she saw him look at her, and stopped. "I made a mistake," he admitted finally. "It was wrong. It meant nothing. I love you…" he faltered.

Then, out of the blue, Callie felt herself smile, then start to laugh. _God, I must look crazy_ , she thought for a moment, but she couldn't stop. "You love me?! You LOVE me?" She continued to laugh.

She had thrown him and she saw it. He didn't know how to respond. She saw it; hell- she didn't know how she _wanted_ him to respond.

The he got serious, the pain in his eyes screaming at her more loudly than his voice ever would. "Yes, I DO love you. I have no excuses. I told Nancy that I loved you- and-"

"Frank Hardy," she seethed, "I don't care what you told HER," she went on, poking her finger at his chest. "I'm good enough to sleep with, but I'm not good enough to be loyal to? That makes me feel really special." She heard her voice break.

Frank looked shocked. "What?! Callie, no! NO!" he almost shouted. "It's never been about that. You know that!" She looked up and saw the tears in his eyes. _Good._

"I don't know anything anymore!" she cried, wiping back her tears in vain. "Did you sleep with her, too?!"

"What?! No!" Frank gasped. "Never! It was a mistake!"

"Once is a mistake- _maybe,_ " she managed, her heart feeling only the slightest bit of relief at Frank's admission. "Two times- at least- is a _choice._ I never would have done that to you- NEVER! You... you could look me in the eyes, hold me in your arms, and know that you cheated? Why?! Because you thought you wouldn't get caught? Because hey- Callie's SAFE and she'd never suspect anything? What'd you think- that you could go out and play the field and HELL- if it didn't work out, you'd have good old Callie as a consolation prize? Huh?!" She was shaking, her heart shattering more with each phrase she choked out. "Who else?! Was she always your dream girl or were there others?" she sobbed. "And I see now that Joe knew, too. He must have loved it. Bet you two had plenty of fun laughing at how stupid you thought I was. What the _hell_ is the matter with you? Did you _ever_ really love me? I can't trust you anymore! And without trust we have nothing- NOTHING!" Her heart was pounding; she felt dizzy. But he would not see her collapse.

"No one! Callie, I swear to you, no one else. You CAN trust me! I want YOU- you're all I've ever wanted. You're NOT stupid- no one laughed. Joe didn't even know! He just guessed. Please, baby..." His voice was unsteady, his eyes still fighting tears.

"Ah. He _guessed_? That's just great. And don't 'baby' me- it's a convenient way to have forgotten my name so soon." She turned away from him, unable to do it anymore. She didn't even know what was real, which words she meant, or which words she just wanted to use as weapons. But he had been her world; and now- what did she have left?

She felt him near her, heard the slightest movement in her direction, knew that he would want to hold her now, never one to be able to see her in pain. Then again, he had never been the source of her pain-until now. She didn't want his touch; his comfort. It would break her.

After several minutes, she had regained some semblance of control. She turned to him, feeling completely depleted. "It's over, Frank," she whispered. Finally, she met his eyes. "Go to school. Date other people. Call… HER…" she almost choked. "Get a clean start in college. I will NEVER be anybody's second choice. I don't deserve that. I'm worth more than being Number 2."

"Callie, no, you're wrong…" Frank managed. "Please…"

"Goodbye, Frank," she answered. She turned and left him standing there, closing the door behind her slowly. Then she collapsed on the floor and cried.


	7. Chapter 7

Note: _Thank you to those of you who took the time to leave reviews, which are always much appreciated and make me know that people are actually reading! :) To that end, thank you to EastBlue, Max2013, AllieDee, Red, TinDog, and Paulina Ann. The last five chapters of this story build on the first five, but they are much longer and much more detailed. After all, Callie and Frank are growing up together here. On a side note, this is in the top three of my favorite chapters in the story. It has a lot in it, but I loved writing it; the muses would not leave me alone. I hope you all enjoy!_

First Encounters

Chapter 6- The First Makeup

 _Callie had to put the picture down. Even now, after all of these years, that argument played out again and again in her mind, at times when she felt lost or out of control. She had never felt pain like she did at that moment. She breathed deeply, grateful beyond words that it had worked out. But it was a long time coming._

 _She glanced down at it again, noting the handsome man with her. And some good had come of it, after all._

Twenty

The first year at college had been awful. Callie felt completely alone for the first time in her life. Even though she had family in California, her real home was Bayport… or it used to be.

Frank had tried to reach out to her many times, but she had ignored him. It was too painful to think of him with anyone else: it would be too easy to go back to him and let her heart rule. Eventually, by winter break, he had stopped contact with her. And though it's what she wanted, it's also exactly what she _didn't_ want.

She had kept in touch with her friends in Bayport, especially Vanessa, on the condition that she wanted to know absolutely nothing about the Hardy brothers. She knew it had to be hard for Vanessa, who, as far as she knew, was in love with Joe, but Vanessa had understood. Callie had told no one why she and Frank had broken up. If he had, she would never know.

California was free, gorgeous, and laid back, and she loved that. What she didn't love was all the attention she was getting from the guys. She dressed far more conservatively than most girls, wore less makeup, and wore her hair back more often than they did. She had always tried to downplay her looks, wanting to be noticed for her mind and personality instead her appearance. And that had worked in Bayport, when she went from being the "hot new girl in school" to very quickly becoming just 'Callie', and equally as quickly becoming "Callie, Frank Hardy's girlfriend." But here, when she tried to fade into the background as much as she could, it didn't matter. Guys followed her and she got scared; maybe it was years of having eyes only for Frank, and never noticing that other people may have been interested in her, but she literally had no idea how to react. She blushed at the compliments, ran from the cat calls, tried to surround herself with women as much as she could.

Sure, some guys were great. She had even agreed to go out with two on separate occasions, but only because they were really nice, and therefore safe. But other guys were rough; they'd tried to corner her at a parties… at times, she was grabbed or was manhandled. Her eyes filled with tears thinking of how some men could force themselves on women, and with her, especially- she had zero experience on how to handle anything.

She had chosen to stay for that first winter break, unable to face going back to Bayport- to see Frank- so soon. One day, as she had been walking out of the school's gym, sparsely populated at the time, she had felt herself being watched and immediately felt uncomfortable. Deciding to leave, she had only been outside less than five minutes when she felt someone grab her from behind and shove her against a wall. Terrified, she started to scream when, out of the blue, a man she had never seen before came out of nowhere, punched her attacker, and knocked him out cold.

She was too scared to look up and simply crouched down, raising her arms over her head for protection.

"Hey-you all right, sweetheart?" she heard him ask.

Slowly, she looked up at one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. His deep green eyes were full of concern, his light brown hair almost golden in the sunlight. His jawline was chiseled, and, with his white teeth and California tan, he looked like a movie star. He was rubbing his hand from where he had punched her assailant, and stretched his muscular arms to loosen up. He was waiting for an answer.

"I… yeah...I'm okay. Thanks," she replied finally.

He reached down a hand to help her up. "You gotta be careful around here at this time of year," he said with concern. "Do you go to the gym often?"

Callie sighed and fought back tears, knowing where this was going. He seemed to sense it, too, because he started laughing. "And noooo-" he drawled. "I was not going to say "because you've been running through my mind all day'."

Despite herself, Callie laughed.

"I was going to say that you should take some self-defense classes. You look like you're in great shape, but ladies around here need to be careful and it couldn't hurt." When he finished, she saw that he was sincere, was careful about standing too close to her after what had happened.

"I might just do that," she said slowly and squeezed the hand now holding hers. "Callie Shaw," she added at last. "Journalism major, New York transplant, and freshman with no fighting skills at all."

"Jonathan Gellers," he replied with a kind smile. "Sophomore, native Californian, running back, aspiring actor, and your hero for the day..."

And that is how, Callie remembered, she met the second great love of her life…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She had stayed on for the rest of the year and the remaining summer, still unwilling to face Bayport after all of this time. As promised, Vanessa said nothing of the Hardys, other than the occasional lapses with how much she was in love with Joe.

Although she was getting used to life without Frank, not a day went by when she didn't think of him: some object or place that reminded her of their time together, some song, some couple that used to touch almost the same way she and Frank did. Time, apparently, was not healing her heart. If anything, time away from Frank made her miss him more, though she still felt sick when she thought of what he'd done, the betrayal as painful today as it had been so long ago. She wanted desperately to move on, but she felt trapped in time; a permanent limbo. It was awful.

Then one day she received an invitation from Chet Morton. He was having a huge get together over break, before Christmas, so that all of their friends, now at colleges or working, could see each other and catch up. He even called her personally and told her how much he wanted her to come; everyone missed her, he'd said. _Everyone except Frank,_ was all she could think. And she told Chet she would think about it and thanked him for reaching out to her.

It wasn't fair, she knew. She had broken it off with Frank. And she had been right to do so; she knew that. But her heart still ached for him badly. She wondered if it would ever stop.

As winter break rolled around, Jonathan plopped onto her bed. "Are you going?" he asked, making himself right at home. He lay back on her pillow and leaned towards her, his model face a mask of concern.

"I don't think so," she answered, sadly, finishing her packing.

"Go," he said firmly. "It's time, Callie. You can't move on unless you see him."

"Oh, Johnny," she sighed. "It's not that easy."

"Cal," he answered, before getting up and starting to help her straighten the room. "You need to do this. Obviously, you're still in love with the guy. He's all I hear about. I swear to God, if I were straight and trying to get with you, it'd start to piss me off."

Callie started laughing. "Well, good thing you're gay, then," she replied with a twinkle in her eyes.

Over the past year, Johnny had become her very best California friend; really her best friend in general. Much to the chagrin of every straight girl on campus, he wasn't interested in women. He was, though, her steadfast protector, and his incredible build and constant companionship kept guys from bothering her. She knew that when they were out, people off campus just assumed they were a couple, and that was fine with her. Heck, if she weren't so desperately in love with Frank after all of this time, and if he wasn't gay, she was sure they WOULD be a couple, as she loved him dearly.

"If he's as gorgeous as you always say, maybe I'd have a shot, then, if you won't go for it." He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

Callie laughed again. "Frank's as heterosexual as they come, my friend. Besides," she added wistfully, "I'm sure he's moved on."

"Well, _you_ haven't," Johnny answered directly. "So maybe he hasn't, either. Don't put pressure on yourself to hate him or to get back with him. But you do need to see him. Put an end point on the whole thing, Cal. I hate to see you like this. You've never been really happy since I've known you."

She looked down. "Maybe I'll go," she said at last. "Can… can you come with me?"

A big smile lit up his face. "I already bought the plane tickets, sweetheart." He stood up and hugged her. "Let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Outside the Morton's door, Callie had a sudden panic attack. "I can't do this," she moaned, and went to turn around.

"Of course you can! And you have to, because I need to go inside. It's freaking freezing on the east coast." He shivered. Then, he turned to her and flipped up the collar of her red coat with both hands. "Remember, you're gorgeous. And looking good is always the best revenge." He kissed her cheek.

Callie rolled her eyes, still trying to fight the queasiness in her stomach. Chet had been thrilled when she had told him she was coming and had insisted that she bring any "friend" she wanted to. Vanessa had squealed delightedly on the phone. She had told them both that she was bringing Johnny, nothing else- not who he was, not anything. Truth be told, she was scared out of her mind, and if he wasn't there, she wasn't sure she could do it.

Clinging to his hand, she knocked on the door.

The next twenty minutes were a whirlwind. They were a little late, and already it was a full house. Callie heard lots of laughter and felt the warmth as soon as she entered. She felt the hugs of greeting, the genuine way in which she was welcomed back. Between saying hi to everyone and introducing Johnny, she could barely take in her surroundings.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Joe and Vanessa, and sucked in her breath. She watched as Vanessa came up to her, without Joe, she saw at once, and hugged her tightly before dragging her to a corner of the room. Johnny gave her a small wave, already engaged in a discussion about football with Biff Hooper. Satisfied that he was fine, she turned to Vanessa.

"Holy hell-he's gorgeous!" Vanessa chimed in, practically salivating, before Callie could say a word. "He looks like a movie star. Why didn't you tell me?! Damn, Cal."

"He's a good guy," she answered distractedly. She could barely focus.

"Callie?" She heard Vanessa's voice, recognized her more calm tone, and turned to her. "Are you okay?"

Callie bit her lip. "I'm a little nervous, I guess."

"Frank?" Vanessa queried.

Callie blushed a bit. "Yeah. I mean, I didn't know if he was coming. It'd be a little weird. I guess it's good he stayed home," she added, finding her throat a little tight.

"He's here," Vanessa answered.

Callie jumped. "What?"

Vanessa took her hand. "He's here. I think he got a little freaked out when he saw you with your new boyfriend. I think Joe was, too. You kind of blindsided them."

Callie sucked in her breath. "I don't owe anyone an explanation about anything." But her answer lacked the confidence it needed, and Vanessa squeezed her hand.

"No, you don't," Vanessa answered. "But no one knows why you and Frank ever broke up. You were the most rock solid couple everyone knew for years. And it's just a little weird seeing you for the first time in over a year- with someone else."

Callie met her friend's eyes. "He… he never told you?"

"Nope," Vanessa answered. "And if he told Joe, I have no idea. He certainly hasn't told me. And you never wanted to know about _him._ "

Callie felt tears forming again and fought them back. "I'm sorry, Van. It hurt too much to know."

"Well, you look great," Vanessa replied at last. "And you made out okay," she continued, gesturing towards Johnny. "Just be careful with Frank," she said. "I think it must have shocked him to see you with someone."

"He… doesn't have a girlfriend?" Callie asked. She couldn't believe it.

Vanessa smiled sadly. "Oh, you know Frank. I mean, he's dated…" Callie hung on every word. "He's been out with girls. But I don't think he ever fully got over you. What you two had was pretty special."

"Really?" Callie whispered. She felt herself get a little lightheaded.

Vanessa looked at her with concern. "Do you feel okay, Callie?"

"I… I need to talk to him. Do you know where he went?" She stood up.

"Be… gentle… with him, Cal," Vanessa answered with hesitation. "I think he's on the front porch with Joe."

Nodding at her friend, Callie slowly made her way to the front of the room and opened the door. She took a deep breath. There they were- together, as always. They turned around at the same time.

Frank just stared at her, and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Finally, she heard Joe's voice. "Callie? Do you need something?"

She finally tore her eyes from Frank and met Joe's eyes. He looked great, but he was guarded, protecting Frank, she realized at once."I was wondering if I could talk to Frank for a few minutes."

"I don't think that's a good idea," he replied evenly, but, only a moment later, Frank answered, "That's fine."

Callie watched as Joe looked at Frank and hesitated. "I'll be right inside if you need me," he said at last, before disappearing back into the house.

Alone with Frank at last, she felt her heart pounding in her chest. It was hard to swallow. Unspoken words, feelings, hung in the air. But there was some chemistry, some buzz in the air as well, as there had always been, something that had always connected them. She felt it; she knew he did, too.

"How are you, Callie?" he asked. He was even more handsome than she remembered, and her heart flip-flopped. He kept his distance, yet his eyes looked into her soul, cutting through any facade she was wearing. He had always been able to do that.

"Can we talk?" she managed, her stomach in knots.

Slowly, Frank nodded his head.

"Alone," she added. "I… there are too many people... I don't know if…" All of a sudden her nerves overtook her, and she was embarrassed to be noticeably trembling.

And then, to her astonishment, he reached for her hand. She felt the color rush to her cheeks. "Come on," he said gruffly, and held tightly to her hand as they walked alone in silence in the dark night. She clutched his hand, grateful for his touch, even this small gesture, after all of this time. Finally, they came to the Morton's huge barn, and she almost smiled thinking of the time they had spent there in high school, both with Iola and Joe, and, later, by themselves. She blushed at the memory.

He led her inside and sat beside her on an old bench. Why was she shaking so much? Frank seemed to notice and, before she knew what was happening, he had taken off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. She looked at him in surprise.

A small smile played on his lips. "It gets cold over here. You California people must forget that." There was the smallest glimmer in his eye.

"Thank you," she said at last, pulling the jacket around her, wishing desperately it was Frank's arms around her instead.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked, and she was shocked to hear the faintest tremor in his voice.

Before she knew what was happening, she felt the tears falling from her eyes. All hopes of being calm, cool, and collected vanished at once in his presence. What could she say? "I wish things had been different," she managed at last.

Frank looked shocked, but, after a few moments, he answered, "me, too," so softly that she almost didn't hear.

"I _had_ to break up with you," she warbled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You broke my heart."

Frank looked away, and she knew that he was fighting himself not to comfort her; not to touch her.

"I know I did," he replied at last. "But then you broke mine." He finally looked back at her. "And I guess I deserved it." He stopped talking and Callie saw, shocked, that he was trying not to cry. "Cal, I have a few things to say to you, too- things I've wanted to say for a long time. Please-if you'd allow me, let me say them." His voice was unsteady; his emotions ruling his logic for once, she saw, stunned.

She couldn't talk.

After a few minutes, he continued, having regained some control of his emotions. He turned from her again, looking straight ahead to the opposite end of the barn. "I did what you said, you know," he went on, steadily. "I thought about everything you said-dozens of times. I called Nancy-" He stopped for a minute, and Callie knew he had heard her suck in her breath. He continued. "And she felt terrible. She's engaged now, you know. And not to me. It _never_ would have been to me. My heart belongs to someone else."

Tears spilled from Callie's eyes as she pulled Frank's jacket close around her.

"And I asked other girls out. But they weren't you. So I didn't care to look for a new girlfriend, because all I thought about was you."

"Frank..." she whispered.

"Let me finish," he went on, still focusing straight ahead, and she stared intently at his profile. "It killed me, Cal, that you wouldn't return my calls. That you totally cut me off. And I kept thinking about how -about _what_ -you said about being second choice." Finally, he turned to her, his voice thick with emotion. "You need to know you were NEVER second choice to me." He looked so devastated, was sharing his regrets so honestly and openly, that Callie was riveted, torn between needing to hear this painful reminder of their past and wanting to skip it all, to be in the moment, now that so much time had passed. But she needed to hear it, she knew; she had never been one to sweep things under the rug. If they had a prayer of making it, she needed to know he had grown up, too.

He slowly calmed his voice again and looked into her eyes, needing to finish his thoughts. "And I made a stupid, idiotic mistake that I will always regret, because I lost this past year. I… lost _you_ -forever. We had almost four beautiful years together, and I blew it. I know. I can't explain why I did what I did. I was immature; I literally wasn't thinking. But that's the problem, I see now, because you don't just "not think" when someone you really love trusts you. I was a selfish jackass, and while I never meant to hurt you, I did. You DID deserve so much better than me and what I did to you. I always knew you were strong enough to speak your mind; it's one of the reasons I fell in love with you to begin with. And when you walked away from me, out of my life, I guess I really learned that actions have consequences; really serious ones. Please know... I hated myself far more than you hated me for it; and I know you hated me a lot. You were _always_ number one with me- I think you always will be." His voice faltered. "And I'm so sorry." His lips trembled and he went to stand.

Callie stood as well, grabbed his hand, and looked up at him, as he stood almost a foot taller than she did. With a start, she realized that she couldn't do it any more. "I never hated you. _Never._ I just wanted you to feel as deeply towards me as I did-as I DO- towards you. I love you, Frank," she choked out, finally, her eyes a seeming waterfall of tears. "Please don't betray me again. It would destroy me. And I won't give you a third chance."

"What?" Frank asked, frozen. He stared at her, saw their hands joined together.

"I said I love you," she answered, mouth dry.

"But… what?!" he repeated, incredulous. "You-I mean, your _boyfriend_ is inside! I don't understand." His eyes were both dubious and hopeful at the same time.

She was glad at that moment that she had always been able to read him so well.

"He's not my boyfriend," she went on, weakly. All her hopes were pinned on this one moment in time, and she was acutely aware of its significance. "He's my dear friend." When Frank continued to look confused, she added, "Oh yeah. And he's gay."

Frank stared at her and slowly started smiling as realization dawned on him. "You're kidding," he said, holding her hand a little tighter.

"No… no, I'm not," she replied with the smallest of laughs. "I didn't tell people. I thought it would be too cruel to let down the girls so soon."

Then he looked at her so intensely she absolutely froze, conscious of his touch, the nearness of his body… feeling a thousand emotions at once. He gently wiped the tears from her eyes. "Don't cry," he said tenderly.

Then, at once, he moved dangerously close to her and the air seemed to radiate heat; electricity that they'd always had ignited the air. Time seemed to stop. "I feel more deeply towards you than I think you will ever know, and I will NEVER hurt you like I did," he managed. "You love me?" he asked again in a soft whisper, just to be certain. His lips were so close; she could feel his breath on her cheek.

"Oh, Frank," she whispered back, her heart pounding in her chest. "I never _stopped_ loving you."

"Well I love you, too," he intoned huskily. "And I never stopped, either."

And with that, he cupped his hands around her face, and he was kissing her, so passionately that she could barely breathe. Over an agonizing year and a half's worth of emotion overwhelmed them. Frank's jacket slid from her shoulders, soon replaced by his strong arms. Suddenly, she felt herself pinned against the wall, and she couldn't get close enough to him, feeling an intense mixture of relief, hope, love, lust, and overwhelming desire.

She found out years later that people started to get a little concerned about them when they were gone for so long. But they had so very much to make up for...


	8. Chapter 8

Note: Thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter. I'm so happy that you're seeing what I am trying to accomplish here and noting the little details. Each review is much appreciated. To that end, thank you EastBlue, Paulina Ann, TinDog, Max2013, AllieDee, Jilsen, and SnowPrincess88! This chapter switches gears a bit, since Frank and Callie can't really grow together if Callie and Joe don't work out their issues...

First Encounters

Chapter 7- The First Major Breakthrough

 _The phone buzzing in the background snapped her from her reverie. "Hey, Joe!" she answered, already recognizing the number._

" _Hey Sis! Just wanted to make sure that you guys are really okay spending your anniversary with us tonight. Figured I'd ask one last time before you get all "girl" on me and tell me it's fine when you're secretly hating us." She heard the smile in his voice._

" _Yes, Joe," she laughed. "Don't you know me well enough by now to know I tell you what I really think?"_

" _Well, sure, Cal. But I know it's an important date."_

" _Joe, are you two TRYING to keep Frank and I away?" she teased. "Frank's running a little late, but we're happy to come tonight."_

" _Frank's running late?" Joe gasped. "I told you something was off with the universe."_

" _Ha ha," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Yes, we are coming. No, I'm not secretly mad about it. And yes, we are both happy to see you." Then she added, "You must be getting so excited about the wedding."_

" _I am," Joe answered enthusiastically. "I feel like it's taking forever,though."_

" _It feels that way, I know," she sympathized. "But when you see how gorgeous Vanessa is going to look, it'll be worth it."_

" _I thought you were going to say when Vanessa sees how gorgeous I look, it'll be worth it for her," he teased._

" _That's where I was going, clearly," Callie answered dryly._

" _Ok. See you guys in a little bit, then. Bye, Sis!"_

 _Callie pushed the button to disconnect and smiled. She and Joe had come a long, long way since they first met, so many years ago. They'd had a small bonding moment after Iola's death, and had gotten along much better since her friendship with Vanessa, but her short lived breakup with Frank had called her whole relationship with Joe into question again. She knew that both her husband and Joe were fiercely protective of each other, and it had taken Joe a long time to finally accept that she and Frank were the real deal. Joe Hardy did not trust easily, she knew, a little known fact from the popular guy who generally got along well with everyone. She knew that Iola's death had made him very cautious of who he let into his inner circle, and she had carefully navigated that circle for years until, one day, she knew she had made it in._

 _For Joe, the real test was loyalty; it had always been. It was backing up words with action, being brave, sacrificing for family. Picking up a picture of Joe and Vanessa, she was glad that she had finally found that special bond with him._

Twenty one

"Run! Callie, go!" She watched Joe struggle with a suspect who had a gun, and almost froze. She knew she was distracting him, so she took off running as fast as she could, ultimately dodging into an alley to catch her breath.

"Where are you, Frank?" she murmured, trying to fight back her panic.

It had started like almost any other day. But when you dated a Hardy brother, no day was typical. Somehow, suspects that they'd been tracking were in the vicinity of Central Park, exactly where she, Vanessa, Frank, and Joe had chosen to go for a nice, laid back date. _Laid back_ , she thought again. _Did that phrase even exist with Frank and Joe?_

The guys had apologized and told her and Vanessa that they would have to meet up with them for dinner, and, with that, they had rushed off to a NYPD office to get info on the perps.

"How do you deal with this all the time?" Vanessa asked, disappointed again.

Callie smiled and squeezed Vanessa's shoulder affectionately. "You get used to it," she answered honestly. "It's what they do. It's who they are."

"I know," Vanessa lamented. "But don't normal people run away from danger, not towards it?"

Callie replied, "Well, yes. Unless you're in the military, or a police officer, firefighter, EMT, FBI, CIA…" Her voice drifted off.

"I get it," Vanessa said at last. "The heroes go towards the danger."

"And I think we're both pretty lucky to be dating two of the finest," Callie answered seriously. Then she added with a wink, "but it's annoying and disappointing and generally a bummer, too."

Vanessa laughed. "Yeah, but you at least like to get involved. Me? No thanks!"

Callie led Vanessa to an ice cream vendor and ordered two cones, one of which she gave to Vanessa, as the two friends continued to stroll in the park. "You know," Callie began contemplating, "I really don't want to get involved, if you want to know the truth."

"What?!" Vanessa asked, surprised. "Joe would be shocked. He's always complaining about you getting involved." Sheepishly, she realized what she had said. "Sorry."

Callie sighed, taking a moment to lick some sprinkles off her cone. "I know. Sometimes I just like to prove Joe wrong- that a woman is just as capable as a man of solving mysteries."

"I honestly don't think Joe thinks of it that way," Vanessa answered with a shrug. "He knows you're capable. He just worries about you."

Callie snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious, Cal." She held onto Callie's arm. "I didn't know Iola, but I know what her death did to Joe. It almost killed him, too. I think he's worried you'll get hurt, and then not only would he feel completely guilty, but he'd also have to watch Frank be crushed. He knows how much Frank cherishes you."

Callie blushed, unconvinced, but it was a sweet sentiment on Vanessa's part, if more wishful thinking than anything.

"Speaking of crushes," Vanessa continued, "How's my love?"

Callie almost choked and started laughing. "Johnny is great. I just spoke with him yesterday. He told me to tell you again that if anyone could make him switch teams, if I was unavailable, it would be you. He told me to tell you again that he adores you."

Vanessa sighed contentedly. "I'm not even joking. If I weren't with Joe, I would actively try to get him to switch teams. Yum!" She finished dreamily.

Callie just shook her head affectionately.

By now, they had reached the outskirts of the park and were planning on finding a place to meet the guys for dinner when they heard sirens close by. At the same time, officers, along with Frank and Joe, unbelievably, seemed to be in hot pursuit of several people.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Callie said at once, knowing that whatever was going on, it was bad.

In the next few minutes, chaos completely erupted. There were gunshots, small explosions, screaming, passersby being shoved out of the way or running for their lives. In the confusion, she and Vanessa had somehow become separated.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone grab a young child and hold a gun to his head, using him as a human shield. The sheer panic in the child's eyes was enough to spur her to action. She grabbed a loose baseball being sold by one of the vendors, who had now taken cover, and threw it as hard as she could at the suspect, making contact with his arm. Startled, he released the child, but he glared at her, aiming his gun straight at her.

She froze, but saw Joe tackle him at a distance before he could get a shot off. "Run! Callie, go!" he shouted.

Now, as she took a moment to catch her breath, she knew she shouldn't have done so. She heard gunshots and blinked back tears, saying a silent prayer for Joe's safety. Unable to think of him hurt, she sprinted out of the alley as quickly as she could. It was as awful as it had been before, but even more chaotic. How many bad guys were there?! What had happened? Why were people running everywhere?

Suddenly, she felt someone grab her and throw her to the ground, and she gasped, the wind completely knocked out of her.

"You!" A large, powerful man, covered in blood, bellowed at her. "You're the one who threw the baseball!" He pulled her up by the hair and slammed her against the ground again, and she literally saw stars.

"Get off her!" she heard someone yell, and barely recognized Joe in the background. Everything was so blurry. What she did see was someone else sneaking in out of Joe's range of view, and, using what little breath she had, she yelled out, "Behind you!"

He immediately turned. As Joe grappled with the new suspect, the brute who had her seemed to be distracted. She turned on him and elbowed him in the gut, the year of the self defense training she had started in California kicking in. She managed to squeeze away from his grasp and make her way unsteadily towards Joe, but she was so dizzy and her balance was off.

Oh, God. He had a gun, too.

"Callie, down!" she vaguely heard. Seeing the gun fly to the ground, after having been wrestled out of the goon's hands by Joe, she desperately lunged for it, allowing Joe just enough time to get in an old fashioned fist fight with the guy.

"Help!" she tried to shout, and managed to grab the gun, shakily getting it out of Joe's way, trying to protect him.

But then the first guy, the one who had grabbed her initially, again appeared behind her, more enraged than ever. She lost track of what happened next.

It was a slow motion fog. She felt herself being lifted up and literally slammed against the wall. She felt her arm being twisted behind her so forcefully that she felt a snap, actually heard it, and the wave of pain was so intense she started to black out. And then his hands were around her throat, and she slowly descended into darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She heard sirens all around and felt herself being lifted again, still unable to piece together a coherent thought. But this time, it was different.

"She's coming to," she heard someone say and she weakly opened her eyes, trying to adjust. Turning to move, she cried out in pain. Her shoulder was on fire. Her head was pounding. She couldn't breathe. What was happening?!

"It's okay, honey. You're okay," a calm voice reassured her. She managed to make sense of the scene- kind of. She was in an ambulance. She was moving. She was safe... but she was scared to death. She fought tears and the sickness in her stomach at the pain and the utter confusion all around her.

It was then that she realized weakly that Joe Hardy sat beside her, next to the EMT: she couldn't read his expression- it hurt too much to try. She could only close her eyes and try to breathe when she realized he was clinging tightly to her hand. And, no matter how many times the EMTs asked him to move over, he never let go.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later that day, Callie was resting and recovering in the hospital. She looked up at last, head still throbbing, and saw Joe sitting on a chair next to her. He had a black eye and several cuts and bruises, but looked otherwise intact.

When he saw her, he shook his head. "Crazy woman," he muttered, but she saw how upset he looked despite his teasing words.

"Wha- what happened?" she asked. She had so many questions, but she felt, if foggy and in pain, at least safe- and she knew that was because of Joe.

Suddenly, she gasped. "Frank!" she questioned in horror before moaning from the pain of movement.

"Shh. He's okay," Joe said softly, taking her hand again. "Well, he is _now_ \- he hasn't seen you here yet..."

Callie weakly looked up. Gently, Joe held her hand and he told her all about the case, everything that had happened. She tried to concentrate, but found the whole thing overwhelming.

"So I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time," she mumbled.

"Well, fortunately for me, you kind of were." Joe released her hand and stood next to the bed, his face reflecting too many emotions for her to register at once.

"Callie, I'll never know why you threw that baseball… how you managed to see the guy behind me and warn me when you were practically unconscious… how you got that gun away. But you may have saved my life today. Don't do it again!" he finished, and she saw he was trying to make light of everything.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I'll let you get shot next time."

"You do that, Shaw, " he added with a small smile. "That took guts, Callie. Really. I would almost admire it if it weren't so stupid." He paused for a moment before sheepishly adding, "I know this lecture. Frank has given it to me a thousand times." Then, he added earnestly, "Please don't get involved again. _Please_. I see you can take care of yourself, but you're hurt- pretty bad. It's not worth it."

"Okay," she conceded.

Joe looked shocked. "What? You're agreeing with me?"

Callie swallowed, realizing how much her throat hurt. "That was scary," she murmured, fighting tears. "I thought you were gonna die. I thought I was gonna die. Where's Frank? Is he okay?" She knew her thoughts were disjointed, but she also had faith that Joe would understand her. She wasn't disappointed.

Joe looked at her affectionately. "It always comes back to my brother, doesn't it? He was busy saving your life. He came back and got the guy off you, managed to subdue him, and then got reinforcements for me. That's what we do; we're a team. And you were a big part of that today," he finished, and she saw the sincerity in his eyes, the compassion. "But no more, Cal. No more. Okay? It's too much for me. It's too much for Frank."

She looked at him questioningly.

"Cal," he started again. "No offense, you look awful. Worse than me, even." He seemed to try to joke as he eyed her swollen neck and cheek, the cast around her arm, but it fell flat. "Frank is going to flip out when he sees you. It's actually upsetting to me, too, if you can believe that," he added with a little smile. She saw him looking at her, eyes full of concern, disappointment- and a bit of anger. She didn't understand.

"You know how to flatter a girl," she groggily responded at last "I wouldn't say either one of us right now is up for any beauty prize today, unless we're being judged on best bruises and breaks." Her head was throbbing and the medication wasn't helping much, but she felt something was off. "You're not mad, are you?" She went to move and grimaced again from the pain.

She was startled to see him wincing when she did, as though seeing her hurt almost hurt him, too. Joe sighed before answering. "Of course I'm mad, Cal. Not at you- just the fact that you got hurt. I couldn't stop that- and I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you and neither could Frank, and that kills me. I know this is hard for you to accept, but Frank and I can't really protect ourselves if we're worried about you... or Vanessa." He cleared his throat, and Callie could sense he was uncomfortable sharing so much. "It's actually dangerous. And I'm not saying you CAN'T handle yourself; I mean, you proved you can today. And god knows you don't mind giving people good shoves once in a while," he added with a wry grin, referring to her rather forceful entrance at his house several years ago. Then he became serious again before continuing. "But, it's just..." he tripped over his words. "Hell, Callie- you can't be another Iola. I couldn't... Frank couldn't..."

Callie was shocked to see tears in his eyes and she felt them well up in her own.

"That wasn't your fault," she managed at last.

Joe nodded, and she saw he was trying to dismiss her. He turned away slightly and she saw him surreptitiously wipe his tears away.

"It wasn't, Joe," she repeated, somehow knowing she had to convince him. "She loved you. She'd be thrilled to know how happy you are with Vanessa. And she'd want you to be happy. Iola was my best friend, too. I get it, Joe. And you can always talk to me about her. I'd... kinda like that, actually."

Joe looked at her strangely, almost as if he was seeing her in a whole new light. And as she tried to ignore the pain, she was taken aback to see him look so open and raw. She started to see how very much he looked like Frank at certain angles, how good and genuine he was when his defenses were down. "Joe?" she questioned, gently.

"Maybe, Shaw. Yeah. Maybe we can do that one day."

She felt herself smile. "Okay. You know... cool."

Joe blushed a bit and gave the smallest of smiles himself. He took her hand again and gave it a squeeze. "Look, Frank will be here any minute. He had to go with the cops, find Vanessa- she's okay, too- she's outside. He made sure I was with you in the ambulance. To be honest," he squeezed her hand gently, "he's really shaken up. He saw what that guy had done to you, and… he almost killed him, Cal. You'll see what I mean." He looked away, pained. "Let's try to spring you out of here in the next day or so... and then, maybe we can... like you said...you know... talk..." His voice trailed off.

She nodded weakly.

"Promise me-no more involvement. It's important that you understand, Callie. If not for Frank, just...for me. Please," he asked her again, intently.

"Yes," she whispered. "I promise."

"Thank you, Callie. For everything. You're… you're okay." He leaned over and kissed her forehead before leaving.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Minutes later, she remembered, Frank had come in. And she could still see the expression on his face to this day. It was a mixture of fear, relief, love, and rage- _-rage_ \- that she had never seen before. It almost scared her.

"I will never let anyone touch you again," was what he managed to mutter as he took her in his arms and crushed her to him. "I swear to God, I will protect you for the rest of my life. No one hurts my girl," he concluded, his voice shaking. "No one."

That moment stuck with her even now. It was her first major breakthrough with Joe, where she had earned his respect, seen both his strength and vulnerability, and their relationship had only grown stronger from there; her first breakthrough with herself, as she learned she had nothing to prove anymore- and she had kept her word, too. That was the last case she had gotten involved with, accidentally or otherwise. Above all, it was her first real breakthrough with Frank, for she knew in that moment that she would be with him forever, and that her body, her mind, and her heart would always be safe with him.


	9. Chapter 9

Note: Thank you to TinDog, Red, EastBlue, Paulina Ann, AllieDee, and max 2013 for your much appreciated reviews. I always look forward to seeing what you have to say, so thanks for taking the time to leave a note. Also, thanks to those who are reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the final three chapters, which are really pretty long! :) The idea for this chapter just came to me and wouldn't leave me alone, as I figured that most things in Hardy-land are never really simple...

First Encounters - The First (through Fourth) Engagements

Chapter 8

 _Sigh. Where WAS Frank? Callie looked down at her watch again. Joe had been right- Frank normally was early; on time at the very worst. Had it not been for his text earlier to assure her that he would be home soon, she would have been more worried. Still, today WAS special, and every minute away from him was a minute she missed him more._

 _Callie started to put pictures away and to select just the right ones for tonight, and, as she did so, she started laughing. It was taken on July 4th, over two years ago. Joe had taken it and had inadvertently captured the expression of utter disbelief on Frank's face that she hadn't recognized was there at first glance. But, sure enough, it was- and she knew now why it was there, though it had taken Frank several months to admit to the whole fiasco._

 _Laughing again at it, she took a moment to touch Frank's cheek in the picture, now realizing exactly what he had been going through- how hard it must have been for him. She smiled to herself as she started to remember the whole story, just as Frank had related it to her- eventually. To her, their engagement had been so precious, so perfect. To Frank, though, as she later learned, the road to it was not quite as expected…_

Twenty-two

 **Take 1**

Callie held Frank's hand, fingers loosely intertwined in his. They were headed to the Bayport Marina, where they were going to see a spectacular fireworks show to celebrate Independence Day. Frank had somehow managed to procure tickets to the event, which included a romantic dinner followed by fireworks at 10:00. She knew the tickets had sold out immediately, as they did every year, so she had been shocked when Frank told her he had been able to get them.

"I'm so excited, Babe!" she said, squeezing his hand. "Thanks for taking me. I still can't believe you got tickets. How did you manage?"

Frank smiled warmly at her, eyes twinkling. "I have my sources," he answered mysteriously. "I'm just glad we're here." He leaned down to give her a quick kiss.

"Mmmm… me too!" she answered, releasing his hand and snuggling next to him as they walked towards the restaurant together.

Two hours later, they were finishing the absolutely delicious meal. Well, to be specific, SHE was finishing. It seemed to her like Frank hadn't eaten much at all. In fact, he seemed much quieter than usual, fidgety even, and she looked at him, concerned. "Are you okay, Frank?" she asked him. "You seem a little… off… tonight. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine… good…" he stammered, looking almost startled.

Callie smiled and raised her brows. "Okay…." she answered slowly. "You're acting a little strange tonight."

Frank look surprised when she spoke, and, as he went to sit up straight, inadvertently knocked over his glass of water- right onto her and her new dress.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry," he managed as Callie looked down at her brand new silk dress in shock.

"It's only water, " she answered ruefully, grabbing for a napkin and dabbing at the huge spot on the bottom of the dress. "Could have been the wine, right?" she finished with a gentle smile.

"I… uh… sorry," he mumbled, looking down again. His face was bright red and Callie instantly reached out for his hand.

"Honey, are you okay- really?" she asked with concern. "The spill is fine. No big deal. Although I may have to wear a sweater over it so people don't think I had an accident," she teased.

She watched as Frank took a deep breath and gave the smallest of smiles. "I'm okay. Yeah." He met her eyes. "You look stunning," he said to her, gently rubbing her hand.

"Thanks," she said softly. In truth, she really had tried to look her best that night, excited to go out to this special event, and she was glad he had noticed. He'd always liked her in red; and it seemed the perfect color for July 4th. "And you, as always, are the most handsome man in the room." She leaned over to brush his lips quickly with hers.

Frank seemed to relax, a softness, almost shyness coming over him. Callie was still puzzled by his odd behavior that night, but decided she didn't care. She really was happy to be with him, despite the fact that the water was the third thing he'd managed to get wrong tonight, after inadvertently dropping the rolls that came with the appetizers and almost pulling the tablecloth out from under all the plates right before the waiter came. For someone who was naturally so athletic and agile, this behavior was totally out of character.

"I just wanted tonight to be really special," he said gently, and she sensed the emotion in his voice, and was touched by it.

"It IS special, Frank," she replied, blowing him a kiss. "Besides, things happen in threes, they say, so I think we're probably safe for the rest of the night," she joked.

Frank smiled, still looking oddly shy.

"And we have desserts to go- which you'd better eat, because they look fabulous-" she held up the menu. "And then the fireworks!" She clapped her hands excitedly."That'll be really romantic," she finished, squeezing his arm.

"That's what I was hoping for," he answered, gazing into her eyes. "We just need to get through dessert."

"Well I'm not rushing that!" she answered lightly. "Chocolate Decadence cake, Manhattan cheesecake, tiramisu- how do you even know what's the right choice?"

"Sometimes you just know," Frank answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Frank," she laughed. "I won't even ask what you're talking about. I'll get the chocolate; you get the cheesecake. Then we'll share. How does that sound?"

He just nodded.

After the waiter took their order, he reached for her hand. "I love you, Cal," he said tenderly.

"And I love you!" she replied with a smile.

"No. You don't understand," he went on, and she was shocked by the emotion in his voice. She saw him go to reach into his suit jacket for something, when all of a sudden she heard someone call out, "We're here!" and snap a picture.

Looking away from Frank, she turned around and smiled. "I'm so glad! I didn't think you'd make it in time!" Callie stood up to give both Joe and Vanessa hugs.

"Are you saying I'm late a lot? Always criticizing, Cal. Not cool," Joe teased, his eyes reflecting his mischief.

"You look amazing!" Callie said, smiling at Vanessa.

"Thanks!" Joe responded. "I can't say I'm shocked."

Vanessa rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "Look at YOU! Gorgeous!" she told Callie, eyeing her in admiration.

"Joe!" Frank finally spoke up, and Callie saw how flabbergasted he looked. "What are you DOING here?" If she wasn't mistaken, Frank actually looked upset.

"I was able to use the same contacts you had, big brother," Joe went on, oblivious. "I thought it would be fun to meet up tonight. We would have been here earlier, but we kind of got distracted," he added, leaning over to give Vanessa a long kiss.

Vanessa turned bright red. "Joe!" she reprimanded.

Joe winked at her before turning to Frank. "Van told Callie that we could probably make it. Didn't you know?"

"No," Frank replied evenly. "I didn't!"

"I'm glad we could surprise you then!" Joe answered happily. "Did you guys order dessert?"

"Just now," Callie answered. " But I'm sure you can still order. Fireworks start in 30 minutes! I just love celebrations, and magical nights, don't you?! I'm excited! I think I'll remember this night forever!"

As Joe and Vanessa agreed and began chatting and pulling up chairs, Callie took one quick look at her boyfriend and shot him a questioning glance.

She saw him smile, though it looked forced for some reason. "Yeah," he said at last. "Celebrations are great. I hoped you'd remember this night forever."

Before she could question him, he got up quickly, excusing himself to use the bathroom. As he passed her, he gently touched her shoulder and whispered, "enjoy tonight, baby."

As Joe made some wisecrack about starving and wondering where the cake was, Callie watched Frank walk away, shoulders slumped ever so slightly, hands slowly clenching and unclenching.

When he returned to the table less than ten minutes later, he looked completely composed, started acting like the normal Frank she knew, laughing and joking.

It was only when the fireworks started a short while later and they were all watching from the floor to ceiling windows, that she felt him looking at her with an expression of … regret? sadness? It only lasted for a moment, and she couldn't be sure it had been there at all.

It couldn't have been, she decided as she leaned back against him. He was probably just embarrassed about his clumsiness earlier, and there was no reason to be. Everything was fun and exciting, exactly as she had hoped it would be. Tonight couldn't have been more perfect if he had tried.

 **Take 2**

Three weeks later, Callie and Frank were strolling in the city, enjoying the beauty of the day, despite the heat. They were going to meet up with Joe, Vanessa, and several friends later on at a popular Italian restaurant to celebrate Frank's birthday, and Frank had insisted that they spend the day together beforehand.

They'd had a great time. Frank had taken her to some of her favorite places, places where they'd spent a lot of time together through the years. It was approaching 5:00, and they'd already been to Central Park, the Museum of Natural History, and several favorite stores and tourist stops in midtown. In each place they'd been, Frank had bought her a small token of remembrance of their day.

They stopped to rest at one of their favorite coffee shops, sipping on iced cold beverages, sitting at a little table that overlooked a beautiful park. Callie cuddled next to him and rested her head on his shoulder as he slipped his arm around her tightly.

Callie tilted her head up and kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?" Frank asked with a smile.

"I just love you so much," she answered happily as she felt Frank tighten his hold on her.

"This is YOUR birthday celebration, and I feel like I'm the one who's been getting treated all day," she went on. "I've loved today," she paused, aware of how much he did for her all the time, how selfless he always was. "Thank you. It's been a great trip down memory lane. You're so good to me."

It was easy to tell him after all these years exactly how she felt. She saw him smile, and she turned around and kissed him slowly, tenderly.

"I'm glad you noticed," he said, after gently pulling back. "I wanted to take you to some of our favorite places. We've had a pretty incredible relationship, huh?" he touched her cheek, looked into her eyes.

Callie felt hot, from the weather or Frank's caresses, she couldn't really tell. To this day, he still made her heart race. He kissed her, and it was very hard to make herself stop.

She sat up, laughing as she caught her breath. "Frank," she managed, "we should probably not start something we can't stop- at least not until after dinner," she added, with a wink.

But he looked so serious all of a sudden. He stood in front of her, and gently ran his hands up and down her arms. "I wasn't starting anything," he whispered huskily. "I just wanted to remind you how much you mean to me." He met her eyes, and she felt how much he loved her; and she felt a slow blush creep to her cheeks.

"Cal, today was very special to me. I hope it was for you." His voice was shaky and she stared at him. "And that's why," he started and she saw him start to reach behind for something, "I…"

"Oh my God! There he is!"

All of a sudden several women ran past them, screaming, catching sight of some famous actor. Apparently, a scene for a television show was being shot on location in the city, and, Callie just noticed as she looked up, the camera crew had quickly moved and was now located not 200 feet up the street from where they were standing.

"I wonder who it is," she asked, curious, standing on tiptoes, momentarily forgetting their conversation.

She didn't hear him answer, as the shop became crowded with onlookers. When she did get a chance to turn back around, she realized how quiet Frank had become. The environment was getting harder to move in as officers started blocking off the sidewalk.

Ever protective, she felt Frank grab her hand and she followed him out of the growing crowd. There really was no place to go at the moment, since they didn't know what would be blocked off next, but finally they found a slightly quieter area down the street.

"Thanks!" she told him at last. "That was starting to get a little claustrophobic. And hot!" Callie fanned herself with her hand.

Frank's demeanor had changed drastically from ten minutes ago, she noticed at once. "Frank?" she questioned, concerned.

"I'm fine," he answered in a clipped voice, but sensing her worry, he sighed and then hugged her.

A few hours later, after quickly stopping at their hotel to shower and change, Callie was enjoying watching Frank being surrounded by people who loved him, there to celebrate his special day. She watched as their friends talked and danced and showered Frank with gifts that he was almost too shy to accept, and laughed at Joe, who was, as usual, the chief life of the party.

She couldn't shake the feeling, though, that Frank was holding back just a little bit, as if something was missing from this evening that could have made it even better. He was just a little less exuberant than he had been with her all day, unless she was imagining it. He looked genuinely happy… but… never mind. She shrugged to herself. Try as she might, she couldn't figure out what it was.

 **Take 3**

"I'm picking you up from work today and taking you away for the weekend. Don't ask questions. Love you."

Callie picked up her cell phone and read Frank's text to her. She glanced at the time- 3:00. She'd get off in less than an hour. He wasn't kidding- she didn't have time to ask questions.

"What are you smiling about over there?"

Callie turned to her friend, sitting at the next desk over. She handed her the phone.

"You have the most amazing boyfriend, Cal," Stephanie told her with a dreamy sigh. Then, with an innocent smile, she added, "I'm calling dibs if you break up. I just thought I'd tell you now to avoid any hurt feelings down the line."

Callie laughed. "You're always so thoughtful, Steph. Thanks," she teased.

Stephanie rolled her desk chair back to grab Callie's hand. "Seriously. He's soooo handsome and, you have to admit, he's been extra romantic lately, hasn't he?" She dropped Callie's hand with a squeeze. "Have an amazing time and tell me all about it. I need to live vicariously through you."

With that, she rolled back to her desk.

Callie smiled and started to clear her desk, thinking of Stephanie's words. While Frank had always been romantic, he had definitely upped his game this summer for some reason. Between gifts, meals, trips, letters, and just simply spending extra time with her, she knew she was being spoiled and was enjoying every minute. She made a mental note to make sure to start reciprocating even more for him, since no one deserved it more.

At 4:00, she exited her office and there he was, as promised, waiting for her. No wonder he'd told her that he would drop her off this morning- now, it made sense. "Hey!" she greeted him, sliding into the passenger seat. She leaned over to give him a quick kiss. "I can't believe you're doing this! Where are we going? What are we doing? Why are we doing it?! I don't have a suitcase! Where are my…" She stopped when she saw his eyes crinkle and heard him chuckle as he pulled out on the road.

"No questions, babe," he reminded her.

"But, I mean…"

"Nope."

"Frank," she laughed. "Some of my questions are practical."

"Mmmm hmmm," he responded.

"And you're really not going to answer them, huh?"

"That's correct," he replied with a quick wink. He rested his free hand on her thigh.

Callie felt the smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "Okay," she said at last, more excited than put off.

"Okay," he repeated simply and gave her a gentle squeeze.

The rest of the ride, which took almost six hours, was filled with laughter, catching up, and generally enjoying being with each other, free from work, friends, and family. For the first time in quite a while, they were alone completely.

"Frank!" she gasped. "We're in Boston?' I've always wanted to come here!" she exclaimed joyfully, her smile lighting up her face.

"Believe it or not, I may have known that," he teased her as they pulled into the hotel parking lot.

Arriving at the hotel, he grabbed their bags, which, she saw at once, Frank had packed for her. Once they arrived in their room, it was rather late. "I can't believe you did this for me," she said softly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, and leaned over to kiss her nose.

"So what are we doing?!" she asked, excited, as she kicked off her shoes and sat Indian style on the bed.

"I thought you might want to go to bed," he replied. "It's after 11:00."

"Frank," she answered, trying not to disappoint him. "I mean, YEAH, that'll happen," she said in a low voice, tilting her head and giving little kisses to his neck, jaw, and ear as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "But can we go over the itinerary first? Please?" She batted her eyes at him playfully.

Frank pulled away with an amused expression, and started laughing. "Not that I'm complaining, Cal, and absolutely YEAH if you're up for it, but I kind of meant go to bed. Literally. As in go to sleep. It's been a long day."

Callie found herself laughing, too. "I guess you're right," she replied finally. "Are you positive we can't go over everything? I'm sure you have it all planned out, right?"

"Of course I do. This is me you're talking about," he answered. "And no. I want you to be surprised. Tomorrow should be... amazing." She looked up as she heard the catch in his voice, and saw him staring at her lovingly.

"Okay, Hardy," she said at last. She got up to unpack her suitcase and started laughing again. "Frank, really?" she managed, wiping her eyes and pointing to the clothes. "Did you bother to pack any real pajamas or are they all like this?" she asked, holding up two pieces of lingerie.

"Nope. That's it," he said with a mischievous smile, not in the least apologetic.

"I want to remind you, babe, that you're the one who just told me to go to sleep. Remember? Literal bed?" She was still chuckling.

"Fair point," he answered, "and we really do have to get an early start tomorrow. I GUESS," he sighed melodramatically, a smile still playing on his lips.

Callie rolled her eyes and started unpacking, noting that Frank had otherwise done an excellent job with her clothing and toiletries. _Too good,_ she thought at once.

"Did you actually pack this?" she queried, raising her eyebrows.

"Not at all. Vanessa did," Frank answered with a wink. "Except for the lingerie. That was my contribution."

"I bet." Callie shook her head.

Less than a half hour later, dressed in one of Frank's tee shirts, she fell asleep in his arms, thinking that she was, quite literally, the luckiest woman on earth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day was exciting and fun. Frank had taken her to some of the historic sites that she had always wanted to see, and they'd had a fantastic lunch at a seafood restaurant. It was there that he had told her about his big surprise that night. He had arraigned for a romantic carriage ride by the river after dinner, at 10:00; it was something she had always wanted to do. Callie found herself getting more excited as the day progressed. It seemed to her like Frank was really looking forward to it as well, more so than she would have expected.

In mid afternoon, as she and Frank were strolling hand in hand through some of the city's quaint art galleries, she had to slow down, as her stomach started to hurt her. Frank had wandered down the street to admire a striking piece, and she had told him to go ahead. By the time he returned, she was feeling worse.

"You okay, baby?" he asked her, resting a hand on her shoulder and looking at her with concern.

Callie swallowed and looked up at him. "Yeah… I'll be okay," she managed, fighting back a wave of nausea.

"You don't look so well," he pressed, now slipping an arm around her.

She bit her lip and wiped back the beads of sweat that had started to form on her forehead. "I… I think I'd like to go back to the hotel if you don't mind," she apologized, trying to fight the sickness that was almost causing her to gag.

"Of course," he'd answered immediately, and, by the way in which he held onto her, she knew he was worried.

Somehow, they made it back to the hotel on time. As soon as they got to the room, Callie ran to the bathroom and threw up. And then threw up again. And again.

Her head was pounding and she felt clammy and weak.

When she finally caught her breath and cleaned up, she felt a stomach cramp so bad she doubled over. And then she threw up twice more.

Finally, she heard the door open. "Go away," she croaked at Frank.

But he didn't leave. Instead, he got her a cold towel as a compress, and rubbed her back in comfort.

"I'm sorry," she moaned, wiping back tears. She was sick, in pain, and mortified at the same time.

"Don't be," he answered soothingly. She felt as though she was going to collapse, but then he scooped her up in his arms and laid her down on the bed before quickly running back to get the trash can and extra towels for her in case she couldn't make it back to the bathroom.

Callie closed her eyes, and curled into herself. She heard Frank in the bathroom, knowing he was cleaning up. If she didn't die of these cramps, surely the embarrassment would do her in.

She heard Frank exit the bathroom and weakly opened her eyes. When she tried to sit up, she moaned involuntarily and held onto her stomach. She felt as though she might pass out.

Immediately, she felt Frank's arms around her, steadying her.

"I'm sorry," she gasped. "I think I'm gonna be sick again."

And so it went for the next several hours.

By 8:30, she was just starting to feel like she might actually live again, though she felt incredibly weak and unsteady. Her head still hurt and her stomach was way off, but at least she had stopped vomiting.

"How ya doin'?" Frank asked her, running his fingers through her hair. His voice was full of concern.

"I'm humiliated," she mumbled, burying her face in the pillow.

"Why?" he asked her, continuing to stroke her hair gently. "That had to be food poisoning, baby. I'm sorry you're sick. It's not your fault. Just a little throw up."

Callie managed to open her eyes and look at him. "A LITTLE throw up?!" she managed to say.

She saw Frank smile tenderly. "Well, maybe A LOT," he admitted. "But I don't mind taking care of you… at all. I'm just sorry you're sick."

"Oh, God, Frank," she moaned softly. "This isn't exactly the romantic getaway you had planned. You'll probably be thinking of Lysol every time you look at me."

Frank laughed softly. "I'll think no such thing." Then he got up, reached for an extra blanket, and tucked it around her.

She felt him go around to the other side of the bed, heard the flicker of the lights as he turned them off. Then she heard the tv go on, with lowered volume, felt his hand gently touching her back, maintaining physical contact with her at all times.

As she was drifting back to sleep, she heard the phone ring, heard Frank's voice low on the line. "Actually, we have to cancel for tonight. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks for checking."

When he hung up, she felt him lean over and gently caress her cheek. And then, she swore she heard him whisper, "someday".

T **he Final Take- Simplicity**

"Can you believe it's the end of summer already?" Callie asked Frank, settling back into the lounge chair on the deck outside. She looked at him contentedly, and took a sip of wine.

"I know," he agreed, looking up from his papers and smiling at her. "It went quickly, right?"

"Absolutely!" she agreed. "I always love summer, and it always goes too fast."

They spent the next half hour in companionable silence, her reading a new mystery novel and Frank reviewing some papers on his latest case.

After a while, the lighting changed, and she looked up. "Oh, Frank," she exclaimed, delighted. "Look at this gorgeous sunset."

It was true. The sky was alight with an amazing array of purples, oranges, pinks, and yellows. She stood and walked over to Frank, motioning for him to stand by her and watch the sky.

He walked over to her, and pulled her close, resting his head on top of hers. She snuggled into his arms, resting her head against his chest as she gazed at the sky. "Mmmm", she murmured happily. "I swear this is heaven."

Frank kissed the top of her head. "It's good stuff," he agreed.

She backed up slightly and looked up at him, gently wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thanks so much for everything you did for me this summer," she said, leaning her head up to brush his lips lightly with a kiss. "It was an amazing summer, thanks to you. I wouldn't have done a single thing differently - well, other than the seafood restaurant in Boston- would you?" She gave him another quick kiss before putting her arm around his waist and looking at the sky as the sunset started to fade.

"Yeah," he said nonchalantly. "I would have been able to actually ask you to marry me."

Callie stepped back from him, shocked. "What?!"

"I said…" Frank started, and then seemed to realize what he had inadvertently just muttered. He appeared to freeze for a moment as Callie just stared at him, immobile.

Then, it was as if he totally changed; his shoulders relaxed and a resigned smile appeared. His entire expression softened. He turned to her, and cupped her face in both his hands. "Will you marry me?" he asked, his voice filled with the rawest emotion, his dark eyes filled with love and hope.

She couldn't speak, couldn't look away.

"I tried," he went on, his voice thick. "Three separate times this summer. I wanted to make it perfect. I…" He had to clear his throat, as his voice kept catching. "... had it all rehearsed. Knew exactly was I was going to say." He stroked her cheek, and she saw him fight back tears. "All I can really say is that I love you so much, and I can't imagine living a single day more without knowing that you will be my wife. Will you marry me?" he asked again.

"Of course," she choked out. "Of course I'll marry you." Openly crying now, she kissed him, and he held her tightly, picking her up off the ground.

After a few minutes, Frank pulled back from her. "You just made me the happiest man in the world," he said, his smile lighting up his face.

"I love you," she replied, her heart still beating hard as she reached for his hand.

Looking down at their joined hands, Frank suddenly groaned, startling her.

"What's the matter?" she asked, unable to fathom how anything could ruin this perfect moment.

"I'll be right back," he said, and he returned only moments later.

"What?" she asked, but he put a finger on her lips.

"Well, now that you've said yes, I feel a lot less nervous..." he joked quietly. Then he grew serious, though the smile never left his face. "I've done this whole thing backwards," he admitted. "But let me try again."

He got down on one knee and held her hand. "Will you say you'll marry me again?" And with that, he opened up a box. Inside was a gorgeous ring, exactly the type she had always quietly admired and secretly longed for.

Callie felt herself spinning, and she sank down to her knees. "Cal?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes," she replied at last. "I would be honored to be your wife."

Frank smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger, though she was trembling so badly she was afraid he couldn't do it.

He stood up and helped her to her feet. "I can't believe this," she managed, staring at her ring. As she started to calm down, the fog slowly lifted. "What do you mean you tried to ask me three times?" she asked him.

Frank laughed. "That's a long story," he told her, slipping an arm around her waist. "Come on. Let's tell everyone…" he began as he led her inside.

"Later," she answered, turning to him and kissing him. "Right now, I just want to celebrate with you."

He looked deep into her eyes before leaning down to kiss her, passionately yet tenderly, sending shivers of pleasure through her body. _Yes_ , she thought, as she melted into his strong arms. _Everyone_ _else_ _could_ _wait_ _for_ _later_.

Callie's heart beat wildly as her first and only engagement to her first and only true love became the best moment of her life. She was complete.


	10. Chapter 10

Note: Thank you to those of you who always take the time to leave a kind word and a review. Your encouragement and support are very much appreciated. To that end, thanks to Snow Princess 88 (on chapter 6), TinDog, AlliDee, Paulina Ann, Max2013, and Red Hardy (on chapters 7 and 8). There are only two more chapters to go, and this is one of them. On a bright note, they are my favorite chapters in the story, and I really, really hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. They've been a long time in editing, and they're really lengthy- but I hope you all feel the love I put into writing them! :) I will post the conclusion on Thursday.

First Encounters

Chapter 9- The First (and Only) "I Do"

 _Callie sighed contentedly, remembering that magical night. She was so lost in her reverie that she barely heard the front door close downstairs. It wasn't until he was at their bedroom door that she looked up and jumped._

" _You scared me!" she gasped as Frank laughed. He leaned over to hug her and kiss her cheek._

" _Well, I called your name three times, turned off the alarm, and wasn't exactly light on my feet coming up here," he teased her with a twinkle in his eyes. "Good thing you're not the detective. Sometimes the obvious does tend to escape you."_

" _No joke," Callie agreed._

" _What have you been up to?" he asked her, sitting beside her on the bed. "What are all these pictures?"_

 _She looked up and cuddled next to him. "These, my dear, are some of my favorite pictures of us through the years. I wanted to find some good ones of Joe and Van to bring to them tonight, but I ended up thinking of a lot of special times with us. A lot of "firsts," in a way. I thought it was fun, considering…"_

" _That it's our first anniversary," he finished for her, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "I didn't forget." He kissed her head._

 _Callie giggled. "I didn't think you had," she gently admonished him. "I wasn't throwing you hints. I was just literally telling you what I had been doing. So… where have you been? We have to meet Joe and Van in an hour. You're not ready!"_

" _So you're wearing jeans, huh?" He winked._

" _Ugh," Callie groaned. "You're right! I've been so distracted I forgot to get changed, too." She shook her head in disbelief._

" _Mmmm," he answered, nuzzling her ear. "I'm all for distraction."_

" _Not now!" she laughed, playfully dodging his caress. "And you didn't answer my question about where…"_

" _I know," he answered simply._

" _Okay. Let's get changed," she replied, ignoring him. If he didn't want to give information, she had learned a long time ago that it wasn't worth the effort to find out. Things always got revealed anyway, eventually._

" _Wait," he said, not letting her up. "Did you find any really good pictures? I'd like to see some."_

 _Callie nodded. "Lots of them. They're all mixed up." She reached into the box and pulled out another one. This time, her expression softened. Frank reached to hold it up, his hand over hers. It was one of their favorite pictures from their wedding day._

" _I told you then and I will tell you now," Frank said tenderly, "and for the rest of our lives, you were the most beautiful bride I've ever seen in my life."_

 _Callie blushed. "Thanks," she answered. "You were pretty darned handsome, too."_

 _He squeezed her shoulders. "But you get more beautiful every day," he responded._

" _Right…" she drawled, rolling her eyes._

" _You DO," he whispered in her ear. "My amazing and absolutely stunning wife. I love you. Happy Anniversary, sweetheart."_

 _Callie leaned back against him as he kissed her lightly on the lips._

" _That was the best day - and night-" he added with a small grin- "of my life," he finished._

" _Mine, too, babe," she answered. "Mine, too."_

 _Reluctantly, she moved out of Frank's embrace. They were running behind, and she hated to be late. As they each got up, Callie put down the wedding picture of her and Frank when she saw another one from their wedding. She started giggling._

" _What?"'Frank asked as he went to the closet to select a shirt. He peered over her shoulder at it and chuckled himself._

" _Bring that one!" he added. "Those three almost ruined the wedding!"_

" _Although it wouldn't have been half as fun without them," Callie added happily. While she went to find the dress she had carefully laid out for the night, her mind wandered back to that most special of days, the wedding that almost… wasn't…_

Twenty- four

"This is the best idea for a wedding. Ever. Seriously," Vanessa sighed happily as she leaned up on her beach chair to apply more sunscreen. "It's the last thing I would have expected from you two. It's so much more…" she paused, searching for the right phrase.

"It's more impulsive, fun, and kind of crazy. In other words, it's more like you and Joe," Callie finished for her. "Believe me, I know!" She adjusted the sunglasses on her nose and looked out at the gorgeous cerulean blue ocean, the pink sand beneath her feet. "But I kind of love this."

Vanessa turned to Callie. "It's so ironic. Joe and I are getting married in over a year- in a church- and then having the reception at the golf club. You and Frank had a destination wedding- in Bermuda. And you've managed to make it into a three day extravaganza. What's wrong with the universe?!"

Callie laughed. "It's weird, for sure. But you know it didn't start out this way!"

"How many people were you supposed to have again?" Vanessa asked.

Callie furrowed her brow. "That's the thing!" she answered, shaking her head at the wonder if it. "When Frank and I got engaged, we thought we would be traditional. But the more I thought about it, the more I just wanted a really small affair… just me and Frank and the people who we love most. That's why we decided on the destination wedding. We were hoping 20 or 30 people would come, even though we would have been okay with less than that."

Vanessa snorted. "And you ended up with...?"

Callie laughed, too. "86, to be exact!"

It really had been funny and shocking at the same time. When they had told their friends and family about their idea of a destination wedding, they had prefaced the idea that they didn't expect many people to actually attend. Bermuda, after all, wasn't around the block; a celebration there would be pretty expensive; and it was understandable that people might not be able to take time off from work.

What happened was the opposite: everyone was thrilled for them, excited about the opportunity to see Bermuda and to vacation, and they had insisted that they wouldn't miss the wedding for the world. So, what had started as an idea for a small one day gathering had ended up for three days, and then Callie and Frank would stay on for the rest of the week alone for their honeymoon after the wedding. Callie had to admit, it was crazy and wild and altogether the opposite of what she had expected. And it couldn't have been turning out better.

Yesterday they had arrived, along with the majority of their guests. When everyone settled in, they had all met up to go snorkeling and then sightseeing. The evening had ended in a raucous outdoor dinner, filled with drinking, dancing, drinking, volleyball, drinking, karaoke, and more drinking.

Vanessa snickered. "Well, of the- what- 86? of us- I think a good 50 were completely drunk for most of the night! And when you take out the older folks, that's basically everyone. I had a headache all morning."

Callie suppressed a smile and raised her eyebrows. "It was pretty damned fun, though- from what I remember…"

"Hahaha!" Vanessa burst out laughing. "Hell yeah it was!"

"Today is going to be great, too!" Callie responded enthusiastically. She looked around at her friends, lounging, or recovering, on the beach. In the distance, a huge trampoline type blowup had been set up off the shoreline, and all the guys were jumping, sliding, backflipping, and otherwise fooling around out there. The plan was to relax all day, and, in the late afternoon, to reconvene for massages and facials for the girls before dinner, and a game of golf for the guys. Then, dinner would be overlooking the main pier on the island.

"How's Frank holding up?" Vanessa asked her.

"I think I should be asking you that," Callie answered. "Joe's been keeping him busy all day, and part of me really doesn't want to know what they've been doing."

Vanessa laughed. "I'm sworn to secrecy- and I truly don't know the half of it, either. Actually, given what I do know, I think that golf today is pretty tame, don't you?"

Callie nodded. "By 'golf', they probably mean tackle football," she answered dryly.

"Frank has to get out that extra energy somewhere, considering what you've done to the poor guy," Vanessa quipped mischievously.

Callie blushed, color rushing to her cheeks even over her tanned skin. "Stop! I told you not to talk about that!"

Vanessa laughed uproariously. "I love every minute of this," she said, wiping her eyes. "Don't worry- no one is listening," she assured Callie. "But _damn-_ I couldn't do it!"

Callie laughed in spite of herself, more at Vanessa's sustained shock than anything else. After she and Frank had gotten engaged, she had wanted to do something unexpected for their wedding to make it even more special. So, she had decided that, for six months prior to the wedding, she and Frank would abstain from sex. Frank hadn't been happy at all- but he had gone along with it because he saw how much Callie was trying to make their wedding night special. They had actually been living in two separate places, which made it only somewhat easier. Frank had moved into their new home to fix it up, and she had moved back to her parents' house to save money. Although she hadn't planned on telling anyone, one day she let it slip to Vanessa, and swore her to secrecy. While she trusted Vanessa implicitly, Vanessa never failed to tease her about it. Though it could get annoying, she was glad that she had Vanessa's support at least.

"I still don't get how you keep your hands off each other," she went on."Six months?! I couldn't make it six weeks; maybe not even six days!" She smirked. "The only thing I know for sure is that, tomorrow night, you guys need a soundproof room. I don't think you'll leave the bed for the rest of the week!"

"Oh my god," Callie answered, mortified, pulling her hat over her eyes.

Vanessa smiled. "In any case," she went on, "I'm glad you planned the ceremony for sundown tomorrow. Not only will it be gorgeous, but it'll also give us enough recovery time from tonight's drunken revelry."

"Until tomorrow night's," Callie added with a smile.

"You got it!" Vanessa smiled. "Are you nervous?" she asked. Unable to resist, she added, "I mean, the wedding night can be scary for virgins…"

"Shut _up_!" Callie retorted, smacking Vanessa with her hat.

"What are you girls talking about?" Joe asked, having jogged up the beach, soaking wet. He flicked water at them teasingly.

"Hey sexy," Vanessa said to her fiancé.

"Hey hot stuff," he added, licking his tongue in faux sexy manner. He knelt beside Vanessa and kissed her enthusiastically.

"I may become violently ill," Callie cut in, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, Sis," he said, blue eyes sparkling. "You've only got one day to live it up before you become a boring old ball and chain."

"You're blocking my sun," she answered, ignoring him.

"Come on!" he said, and grabbed her by the hand. "You're coming with me!" He pulled her up.

"Joe!" she gasped, almost stumbling. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you with me and Johnny. We have the rest of the day planned for you!"

"Indeed we do!" Johnny affirmed, appearing out of nowhere behind Vanessa. "And hello, love," he added, kissing Vanessa on the cheek. "I've enjoyed basking in your glory from afar."

Vanessa turned bright red, with her not so secret crush so close by her.

"But now that Joe and I have a few hours before smashing and tackling things, we need to get my sweetheart out of here for a few hours before she's a taken woman." With that, he wrapped an arm around Callie's waist.

Joe stared at Johnny.

"What?" he asked.

"That's the most heterosexual comment I've heard in a long time," he said.

"I'm an actor," Johnny reminded him. He kissed Callie on the cheek and stared at her lovingly. "O, you teach the torches to burn bright. I swear, you have beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear."

"That's beautiful, Johnny," Vanessa swooned.

Callie started laughing. "That's Shakespeare, Van," she replied, giving Johnny a squeeze on his cheek.

"Can we go?!" Joe asked, and Johnny responded, "of course!"

"But… but…" Callie started as she reached for her beach bag and threw on jean shorts and a tank top over her bathing suit.

"Trust me," Joe and Johnny said at the same time, as Vanessa snapped a quick picture of the three.

"Have fun, guys!" she waved. "We're getting Frank and we'll see you in a bit!"

"Wait- you knew about this?!" Callie asked as Joe grabbed her hand and Johnny grabbed her bags.

Vanessa just shrugged, the grin never leaving her face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was the craziest afternoon she could remember, and later, Frank would tell her the same. There was no facial or massage, no 'golf' game for the guys. In a mere six hours, Joe and Johnny had taken her along as they'd raced each other in jet skiing, almost killing her in the process. Then, still in 'guy' mode, they dragged her on a flying banana raft attached to a speed boat, where they whipped around the waters with such speed she almost flew off the raft three times and did, in fact, go flying off two other times. The ocean adventures had ended with a parasailing excursion. Never one to enjoy heights, she had clung to Joe with every muscle she had left.

Over four hours into it, Callie plopped onto the sand, exhausted. "Guys," she moaned, still waiting for her stomach to settle. "You've done me in."

Joe laughed. "You have to admit - it was fun," he answered.

She sat up weakly. "It was," she acquiesced. "But dinner is in four hours and I need a break. Can we go back to the hotel?"

"Sure," Joe said, with no hesitation at all.

She looked at him suspiciously and then turned to Johnny.

"Whatever you want, sweetheart," he agreed.

After a long moment, she finally answered. "I don't trust either of you," she said, squinting at them, but, if they were up to anything, they hid it pretty well.

Once they arrived back at the hotel, Joe mentioned casually, "Why don't we all take a quick shower and then meet back here in a half hour? That'll give us plenty of time to get to dinner, but we can do something relaxing before, since you didn't get your massage."

Callie felt her defenses go up. "What are you planning?"

"Something low key," he said, his face a mask of innocence. "Right, Johnny?"

"It's so low key I've already forgotten what it is," Johnny answered, smiling.

"Guys…" she warned.

"Meet in the lobby," Joe said with a quick wave as he disappeared.

"Johnny," Callie said, uncertainly, "Please don't do anything crazy. I want to be okay for tomorrow night." She looked up into his deep green eyes, begging for understanding.

"Hey," he said softly, and wrapped her into a gentle hug. He smiled down at her. "Relax. You've had fun, right?"

Despite herself, she smiled. "Yes, I have."

"You have two guys here with you who love you very much," he told her, sincerely. "And we both think Frank's okay, too," he teased. "Have I ever NOT taken care of you? Has Joe not?"

She rested her head against his shoulder.

"Let us have our fun," he cajoled. "You deprived us all of rightful bachelor and bachelorette parties by having this destination wedding. Now is our time to make great memories with you. Tomorrow, you'll marry the man you've always loved."

Callie felt tears well in her eyes. "You know I love you, right?"

"I do," he said gently, and kissed her cheek. "Just remember that after we're done with you tonight!" And with those words, he gave her another quick kiss and pointed to his watch. "Twenty five minutes!" he reminded her. And then he was gone.

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The rest of the day was a whirlwind. Johnny hadn't been kidding- he and Joe had more than made up for any perceived lack of pre wedding activities. After they met up in the lobby, she was escorted outside, only to find five or six stretch limousines lined up in front of the hotel. Before she could even process what was happening, she heard cheers erupting and looked around. All of her friends were standing outside, waving and whistling.

"What the-" Callie started, but Joe just grabbed her hand as Johnny followed along.

"Let's gooooo!" she heard Chet holler, and everyone yelled back in agreement.

Joe led her to the first limo in line and helped her in. Immediately, Callie saw Vanessa and also Frank, who seemed to be taking in everything in disbelief.

"Have a good time, sweetheart!" Johnny called. "I'll be a few cars behind you!"

Callie went to the back of the limo and immediately sat next to Frank, who hugged her to him. She held his hand. "Has your day been as crazy as mine?" she said to him, nestling close. No matter how crazy things were, good or bad, having Frank next to her always made her feel more relaxed, completely safe.

Frank smiled and whispered to her quickly, "You have no idea. I'm just glad to have you with me again."

"No whispering you two!" Vanessa teased, while Joe spoke quietly to the driver. In moments, they had taken off.

"Should I even ask what you're up to?" Callie asked warily, but she was surprised when Frank laughed.

"Don't even bother, Cal- you won't get anywhere," he answered. He kissed her lips lightly.

"You have to admit-we are the MASTERS of planning," Joe cut in. "Van planned all the stuff for Frank; me and Johnny planned your day. Now- we have joined forces to bring you the most memorable joint bachelor and bachelorette party EVER." He finished with a self- satisfied smirk.

"And you got all these limos for everyone? And this one- just for the four of us?' she asked, both amazed and touched.

"Yup!" Vanessa answered happily, as she started to hand out champagne glasses. "YOLO, right?"

She looked around. Joe was punching Frank on the shoulder as they started laughing about something. Vanessa was handing her the champagne and looked as excited as a child on Christmas morning.

As she took the glass from Vanessa, she finally started to relax. "I guess, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," she said at last with a smile.

"You don't even know," Joe said.

And she didn't...

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They had stopped at 5 or 6 bars on the way, buying shots for Frank and Callie at every one. There was some sort of drag queen parade at one location. There was a block party at another. They stopped for a quick dinner at a barbecue on the beach, where everyone lounged, stuffed themselves, and engaged in the most uncoordinated game of touch football ever, as alcohol and sports didn't make for the best combination. It was fun, though- and hilarious. The final stop, at a dance club, lasted well into the night, and they closed the place near 3:00 a.m.

By the time everyone arrived back at the hotel, it was close to 4:00, and their party was so loud that the hotel staff threatened to kick them out. Somehow, Chet had managed to find an old school boom box and was now dancing with Tony, singing the now blasting "Sweet Caroline," which then led to a chorus of "oh oh ohhhh" and a bunch of awful shouting/singing from half of their friends. Johnny and Biff had removed an orange from one of the guest baskets out front and were having an impromptu game of catch across the lobby. Liz was flirting relentlessly with one of Frank's friends from college; and Phil, sweet, quiet, unobtrusive Phil, was shouting "Who's going skinny dipping?!" It was complete and utter drunken chaos. Before long, security entered the lobby and the manager was threatening to call the police. Callie could barely process the scene, but remembered thinking that she should be far more worried about what was actually happening than she was.

Finally, Vanessa waved her and Frank off and told them that she and Joe would handle it. The management was planning to have them all thrown out permanently now. Had it not been for Joe's charming explanation and apologies, and his promise to control the crowd and pay for any damages, as she later found out, along with his ability to fake sobriety better than anyone she had ever met, she was positive the wedding would have been canceled.

Frank walked her back to the room she was sharing with Vanessa and stopped outside the door. "I see three of ya," she said to him, giggling and twirling around. "That was CRAZINESSSSSS..." she drawled, suddenly finding it incredibly funny that normal words were so hard to form.

Frank laughed, too, as he took her in his arms. "I'm the one in the middle," he said, nuzzling her neck.

"I'm not as think as you drunk I am," she sing -songed, unable to stop laughing. She stared at him, all inhibitions lost, grabbed Frank's shirt suddenly with both hands, and kissed him, soft at first, but then growing in intensity so quickly she felt her body was on fire. He returned the kisses with equal passion, and she felt herself pulled against him as his hands roamed over her body. She jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. "Come to bed," she moaned in his ear. "Now."

At once, she felt him pull back slightly, almost painfully breaking away from her, catching his breath.

"Whatsa matter?" she mumbled. "I want you."

"I want _you,_ " he groaned, softly, but gently put her down, and she felt him trying to slow down his breathing. He then pulled her into a tight hug. "But not now. We can't."

"Why?" she asked, head spinning, as she felt tears spring to her eyes.

"Because I love you too much to ruin what you wanted so much to happen," he answered, still breathing hard. She realized that he sounded at least semi-sober and wondered how that was even possible. He held her close with one arm, and, with the other hand, stroked her hair. He didn't let her move her eyes from his. "Tomorrow… tonight," he managed, wistfully, tenderly, "I am going to marry you. And I'm going to promise to take care of you forever so that you'll always trust me. And if I took you inside right now, and you don't know how much I _want to_ , baby," he emphasized, "then I'd be taking advantage of your trust. And I can't do that."

By now, tears were streaming down her face, a thousand emotions in one, all blurred together with the fog of alcohol. She was a very light drinker, in reality; she always had been. But when she did go out, every once in a while, she liked to have fun. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't eaten much, or the fact that it didn't take long for her to get tipsy- and she was _way_ past tipsy- or maybe it was the fact that she was burning with desire, or it was sheer emotion of the wedding, or the truth of the words Frank had just uttered... but she started trembling and crying as everything crashed in on her at once.

She didn't even know how she got into the room. She had a vague recollection of clinging to Frank, and eventually feeling the warmth and protection that always came when he held her. And then her eyes closed.

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By the next day, she recovered from the worst hangover of her life after sleeping very late and drinking lots of water. She only half remembered what went on last night, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The only thing she remembered clearly was an intense feeling that Frank was protecting her from something, and feeling confused and overwhelmed. She closed her eyes and felt a blush come to her cheeks as she felt Frank's touch again, his searing kisses. And finally she remembered feeling that Frank would keep her safe, and that he loved her deeply, although she had absolutely no idea why she felt that way. _I hope I didn't mortify myself,_ she thought ruefully. Then she smiled. _Well, if I did, maybe no one will remember, either._ Damn, Vanessa, Joe, and Johnny had _killed_ that party last night- it had been wild- THAT she knew.

Vanessa had arranged for herself, Callie, and Callie's other bridesmaids to get massages and facials, after all. By 5:00, she was feeling much better. By 6:30, her hair and makeup had been completed. By 7:00, she was dressed. She was due to walk down the aisle on the beach in 45 minutes.

She had almost broken down when her parents saw her for the first time. And then when Vanessa had spoken with her alone. She had specifically asked Johnny not to come in, because she knew she would become a blubbering mess if they started talking. But he had helped her so much, was very much responsible for how she looked right now. She had a lot to thank him for later.

She had asked everyone to let her be alone for the next half hour. She needed time to think, to process the magnitude of this day, so very long in coming. Finally, she would marry Frank tonight, and she knew her life would never be the same.

At 7:15, then, she was surprised by a knock on the door. "Can I come in?" she heard Joe's voice outside. "I come bearing gifts."

Fifteen minutes until her bridal party would be coming. She could do this.

"Sure. Come on in!" she called.

Joe was looking down when he entered the room, fumbling with a package. When he looked up, he actually gasped before his shock wore off and a genuine, emotional smile lit his face. He walked over to her and shook his head, and she was shocked to see tears in his eyes. "You look absolutely gorgeous," he said to her. She waited for the sarcasm to follow, but there was none. "Stunning," he said again. "God, Frank is going to pass out."

Callie felt the color rush to her cheeks. Today, she did, in fact, feel beautiful. She had always imagined herself in a ballgown, but, based on the change of venue, she wanted a different type of dress, more suitable for the beach, but she had no idea where to start. When she had told Johnny about the dilemma, he had put her in touch with a costume designer on the television show he was now working on, saying she was magnificent, and she made custom dresses. And the dress she wore now had been Johnny's gift to her, and she could not have been happier.

It was a deceptively simple sheath dress, perfectly tailored to her body, with a low cut back, accented by crystal straps. When she had put it on the first time, she remembered the silence in the room as she turned around, watched as her mom and Vanessa had started crying, held back her own tears as Johnny had told her, "You are a goddess." It was classic and elegant, but also sexy.

With her long golden blonde hair pulled back in a classic chignon, held back with a crystal antique barrette, her mantilla veil, and her makeup flawless, she didn't even feel like herself.

"You think he'll like it?" she managed.

"He'll love it when he pulls himself off the ground," Joe responded with a smile.

"I have this for you- from my brother. Obviously," he said, chuckling softly. "When Van came over with your gift, he realized he had forgotten to give you yours. He's a nervous wreck."

Callie smiled. "A half hour and everything's going to change, right?" she asked him, taking the gift and putting it on the dresser by her. "You clean up nice," she joked quietly, referring to last night's shenanigans, and Joe laughed softly as she adjusted his tie to fit perfectly in the center. "In fact, you look downright dashing, I must say." All the groomsmen were dressed in khaki pants, white shirts, light pink ties, and navy jackets, befitting of a beach wedding. He looked wonderful, and she could only imagine how handsome Frank must look right now.

"I mean, naturally…" Joe teased. Then, more serious, he took her hand. "The two of us have been through a lot together, huh?" he said.

She nodded with a smile. "We sure have."

"You're my sister now," he said, teary- eyed again. "It's crazy. Sometimes I still look at you and see that girl on the beach from years ago, the one who stormed off and told Frank to choose me or you."

Callie felt her own tears form and could only nod.

"And sometimes, I see that stubborn, pain in the ass teenager who INSISTED on proving me wrong about everything. And you know I could see that side of you- coming from another pain in the ass teenager who always INSISTED I could prove _you_ wrong on everything. It's a wonder Frank put up with either of us, huh?"

Callie dabbed at her eyes with a tissue she had nearby. "Stop. You're ruining my makeup."

Joe dabbed at his own eyes, grabbing one of Callie's tissues, too. "My big brother is getting _married_ today, Cal. I mean, I know we're adults. Hell, I'm getting married next year. But it's a big deal, you know? Because although sometimes I see those sides to you, what I see now more than anything is that woman who would do anything for my brother, who makes him happier than he's ever been without you. And if he's happy, then I'm happy. You're in the family now. So you need to know that we are all a team, and I'll always be on your side as long as you're on Frank's. You're my sister," he repeated. "And I love you."

Callie stepped into Joe's arms and held onto him tightly. "I love you, too, you dumb blonde, chauvinistic, macho jock."

Joe started laughing. "If it makes you feel better, you'll always be an argumentative, bossy, nosy chick." He kissed her cheek. "I have to go and prepare my brother for what he's about to see." With a wink, he left her.

And now, she was ready.

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It was everything she hoped it would be. The night was gorgeous; the setting picture perfect. She held onto her father's arm for support as she approached the line next to the gorgeous arch set up in front of the water. Her bridesmaids were dressed in light pink chiffon gowns that flowed lightly in the breeze, and the groomsmen- Joe, Chet, Phil, and Johnny- looked incredible. But no one compared to Frank, who was, as on that first date so many years ago, the "most handsome boy" she had ever seen. The candles, the flowers, the sun starting to set, as it had been on the night they had gotten engaged; it could not have been more romantic. And Frank, normally so reserved with his emotions, wiped away tears when he saw her. She saw Joe squeeze Frank's shoulder in support, the consummate best man and best friend; saw Joe wink at her.

They said their vows in front of friends and family, but, in that moment, no one existed for her but Frank. When he slipped her wedding ring onto her finger, and she did the same, it was as if time stood still. She memorized the features of his handsome face, recorded to memory the feeling she had when he held her hands; and, when he looked deep in her eyes and kissed her lips for the first time as her husband, she knew she would remember it forever.

When Joe started whistling and then everyone started clapping, the momentary bubble collapsed, and she felt the love from everyone gathered there to celebrate their marriage. As Frank took her hand and led her back down the aisle, she couldn't stop smiling, and, she noticed, neither could Frank.

Everything was magical. The dancing, the food, the toasts, the cake cutting: each moment was better than the next. She floated in Frank's arms during their first dance, and then, before she knew it, she was holding tight to him in the last dance of the evening.

She heard the band in the background welcoming everyone back to the floor for the final dance, but she only had eyes for Frank.

"This is the end," she said, softly.

"It's just the beginning," he replied, holding her close, gently stroking her back and making her shiver.

She rested her head against his chest. "I like that," she murmured.

"You literally took my breath away when I saw you," he whispered in her ear. "You look unbelievably beautiful, sweetheart." And he tilted her face to his. "I love you so much," he said before kissing her tenderly.

Joe and Vanessa came up behind them as the music started fading and wrapped them in a group hug. "You guys coming to the after-party?" Joe asked, slinging an arm around Frank's shoulders.

Vanessa bit back a smile, which Callie caught immediately. "I think we should let them 'rest', babe," she said to Joe, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "They know where to find us if they'd like to come later."

Joe shrugged. "Okay. It's up to you guys!" He gave Callie a kiss on the cheek and gave Frank a big hug. "Congrats! This was a hell of a wedding," he added. "Welcome to the family, officially, Cal. And Frank..."

Callie held Frank's hand and watched as Joe cleared his throat and struggled for words.

"I know," Frank added as he cupped the back of Joe's neck affectionately.

Joe just nodded with downcast eyes, a gesture that communicated more than words ever could. He turned and took Vanessa's hand. And, with a brief wave, they fell back into the crowd.

After, she and Frank hurriedly thanked their guests before heading to the honeymoon suite for that night and what would be the rest of the week. Frank touched her cheek gently and kissed her softly before picking her up and carrying her into their room.

They didn't make it back to the after party, or to the luncheon the next day. Vanessa had been right after all-they barely left the room for the week.


	11. Chapter 11

**Note** : _Well, this is it! Thank you to those of you who consistently left such wonderful reviews. You all made my day- really! Thank you for the reviews left on the last chapter by Red, AlliDee, TinDog, SnowPrincess 88 (AKA "Guest"- LOL), EastBlue, Max2013, and Paulina Ann. I've been in a writing mood the last few months, and this story just would not leave me alone. Though not everyone's cup of tea, I truly loved writing this and it was fun to work on a story based on characterization only instead of a mystery (of course, now I have a mystery in mind! Darned muses). It really made me happy that it resonated with others as well, and again- the time you took to leave feedback is much appreciated. And so... I leave you with the conclusion, for now at least, of Frank and Callie's story. I hope you enjoy it! xxoo..._

First Encounters

Conclusion

Chapter 10- First Steps to the Future

Twenty-five

Callie held Frank's hand as they headed downstairs, now dressed properly for the evening ahead. She glanced sidelong at her husband, who looked so handsome, as always, dressed in a tailored pinstripe suit. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, she smoothed down the hem of her red dress and adjusted her balance in her 4 inch heels. She wondered if a more practical choice would have been better, but then she had seen Frank's reaction; recognized the look in his eyes. No- It was the right choice, especially for tonight.

"Come here," Frank told her, motioning her towards the chair in the living room.

"We're going to be late," she cautioned, setting the pictures she had selected for Joe and Vanessa aside on the end table.

"I'm pretty sure 5 minutes won't matter at this point," he answered, smiling at her.

He sat on the chair and pulled her down on his lap, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Yes?" she asked.

"You look ravishing this evening," he began, rubbing her waist with his free hand. "And I will certainly not complain when the dinner is over," he went on, kissing her cheek.

Callie blushed. After all these years, he still made her do that, still made her heart quicken. "Thanks, babe," she answered.

He motioned across the room, where she saw a gorgeous array of roses. "For you," he said happily. "Just a thought for today. Now you know why I was a little late."

She gasped, and hugged him. "They're beautiful! You shouldn't have done that!"

Frank dismissed her. "Of course I should have. I'm your husband and it's our anniversary. I don't think a vacuum or dishes quite screams romance, do you?"

She giggled. "I guess not," she agreed.

"I got something else for you, too," he went on, and reached down with his free hand to give her a box wrapped in silver.

"What did you do?!" she asked, incredulous. What she ever did to deserve this man was beyond her understanding.

"Open it," he said. She looked in his eyes and bit her lip. "Go on!" Frank prodded in a low voice, after a minute.

"Okay," she mouthed, as she cleared her throat. When she tore off the wrapper, she felt tears fill her eyes. Inside was a beautiful diamond bracelet, and it matched exactly with the necklace she was wearing, the one he had given to her on their wedding day. It must have cost a fortune. "Oh, Frank," she whispered. "It's gorgeous. I… I don't know what to say." She wiped back a few tears that had spilled over. "Thank you."

"Look!" Frank told her, pleased. "There are two charms on it if you flip it over. The first is a ring for our wedding day. This is a heart for our anniversary. I thought it would be nice to get something like this, something where I could get you charms for the major events we share together. I'm glad you like it." He moved his arm from around her and took the bracelet from her hands, taking a moment to put it on her wrist. "Looks great!"

"It does," she whispered, looking at her wrist. "It's a beautiful idea, and I'll always treasure it."

She managed to meet his eyes. "I have your gift for you, and I'll give it to you tonight," she added.

"Mmmm," he answered, and kissed her neck. "That sounds perfect."

Callie started laughing. "No, I literally got you a gift," she added.

"Oh," Frank answered sheepishly. "I'm down for my idea if you change your mind." He winked at her.

Callie smiled and got up, Frank behind her. She took a quick moment to turn around and rest her hands on his chest. "I love you, Frank."

He smiled and put an arm around her waist as he reached back and picked up the pictures for Joe and Vanessa. He kissed the top of her head as they headed out the door.

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"Hey guys!" Vanessa called as they met up in the restaurant. She reached over to give them both hugs, and Joe, who was standing behind her, did the same.

"You both look great," Callie said warmly, happy to spend the night with her absolute favorite couple. It was true. Joe's navy suit complemented his eyes perfectly, and Vanessa's long silver dress brought out her eyes as well. More than that, Callie could sense how happy they were, how excited about their own upcoming wedding, and she could not have been happier for them.

"Oh my gosh!" Vanessa gasped as she stared at Callie's wrist. "What a gorgeous bracelet!"

"Thanks," Callie answered. "My husband has great taste! He got it for me for our anniversary." She watched as Joe and Frank walked ahead, catching bits and pieces of their conversation.

Joe shot Frank a look as they walked together to the table. "Do you have some secret job I don't know about? Maybe you hit a lottery and forgot to share the wealth?"

Frank smiled. "No," he answered, simply. "I just know how to save. I don't buy every gaming system the second it comes out, or go out to eat every night, or splurge on fast cars."

Joe laughed in spite of himself. "You're right,"he answered. "And my way of living is much more fun than wearing a diamond bracelet- no offense to Callie!"

"I don't know, Joe," Frank replied, deadpan. "I bet Vanessa would encourage you to give up the cars for some jewelry. Happy wife, happy life, right?"

"Believe me- Vanessa is _more_ than satisfied with me," Joe answered back. "In fact-"

"Heck no. I'm going to stop you right there before the TMI starts." Then Frank added, more serious, "I know you make her happy. And I also know you'd trade the video games to get her whatever she wanted. I'm just teasing you. Besides," he concluded quietly, "she'll love your wedding gift."

Callie watched as Joe looked down, uncharacteristically quiet, and Frank patted his back.

"This is really nice of you both," Vanessa continued, linking her arm through Callie's as they followed the guys after the waiter to their table. "I'm so excited."

Callie smiled as she watched Joe sling his arm around Frank. She knew how close they were, and how much Joe had looked forward to tonight as well.

"You're quite welcome," Frank answered as he pulled out the chair for Callie. "It's nice to spend some down time before the craziness of the wedding."

"And the bachelor party?" Joe asked hopefully, and Callie laughed as Frank shook his head disdainfully at his brother.

"There's nothing wrong with a tasteful weekend, Joe," he said. "I'm almost done planning it. It's time you started to grow up and get a little cultured. There's going to be some fine dining, maybe some time at the golf course, and some new releases at the theater; I'm really trying to get a tour of the winery, but I can't make any promises. That's all I can tell you," Frank finished with a straight face.

Joe looked crestfallen and turned to her. "Cal, he's not serious, is he? I mean, COME ON. Maybe it won't be the level of your bachelor and bachelorette party- I admit that's hard to top- but a freaking winery?"

"Wineries are great, Joe," she answered, forcing a neutral expression. "And Frank's been trying really hard to get that reservation, so don't hurt his feelings."

Joe crossed his arms and leaned back, pouting. Vanessa smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm sure it'll be great," she said to him. "Maybe you can come out with the girls…"

"I don't know," Callie hesitated. "A day at the spa isn't typically what guys like."

"But then what?!" Vanessa prodded.

Callie feigned hurt. "It's a great spa, Van. Isn't that enough? I'm sorry."

She watched as Joe and Van looked at each other, discouraged, and she tried not to laugh. While it wouldn't be totally at the level of their party, she and Frank had quite a lot of craziness in store that, she knew, would make Joe and Vanessa ecstatic. It was all the more fun to make them think that they didn't have anything planned out for them, though, especially since she knew that they kind of believed it. She felt Frank squeeze her hand under the table, and she met his eyes, smiling warmly.

"Well, I guess you did take us out tonight, and that's something," Vanessa acquiesced with a sigh, and Callie burst out laughing.

"We try," she said dryly.

In truth, she and Frank had planned this night for close to six months. They had made a reservation at this new restaurant, which was known for high end food and great music. It drew a crowd in their 20s and 30s, mostly, and was the hottest ticket in town. The only available date was tonight, which happened to coincide with their anniversary, but, when Frank had asked her about it, she had told him she didn't mind spending this night with Joe and Vanessa; and she really didn't.

The meal was exemplary and was filled with great stories and lots of laughter. Callie showed Joe and Vanessa pictures she had brought for them, and Vanessa laughed as Callie told several of the stories behind them.

"You were so young!" she said, looking at the picture of Joe, Callie, and Frank on the beach as teenagers. "The expressions on your faces are hilarious," she giggled, especially after Callie had given her the backstory.

"Yeah. That wasn't the finest point of our relationship, right Joe?" she asked him with a wink, and he smiled back.

"And this one!" Vanessa pointed out, and Joe looked at it and shook his head. "You guys were babies," he chuckled. "Your dad really took this on your first date?"

"Can't you see how mortified I looked?" Callie replied with a laugh. "How I ever got a second date with your brother here is beyond me."

She felt Frank rub her back gently as they spoke.

"This picture, though," Vanessa said, noting the large group of friends gathered together for Frank and Callie's bachelor/ bachelorette party. "It was the best party-EVER!"

Joe warbled, "Sweeeet Caroline," and everyone started laughing.

"I wonder if Phil ever did get to skinny dip," Vanessa pondered.

"Please, Van," Frank answered, holding up his hand. "I don't need to envision that."

"I'm surprised any of us even remember that!" Vanessa replied happily. "I think between me, Cal, Liz, and Steph, we managed to piece together MOST of what happened that night. So, so much fun."

"I don't think I ever drank so much in my life," Joe added. Then, glaring at his brother, he added, "Then again, I know how to throw a party."

Frank rolled his eyes.

"Awww. Love this picture," Vanessa said fondly, looking at Frank and Callie on their wedding day with the best man and maid of honor- Joe and her, of course. "You were drop dead gorgeous that day," she said to Callie, who blushed.

"I completely agree," Frank replied, kissing her cheek.

"Oh, stop," she said, embarrassed. "You all looked amazing. I brought the picture because I was thinking- we'll all be changing places in two weeks. How weird is that? Life goes by so quickly."

"I can't wait!" Vanessa replied, as Joe reached over and gave her a hug.

"Me, either," he added. "That's what it's all about." Then, he added dramatically, "Not that a good party beforehand would hurt..."

"Joe!" Callie laughed. "Stop. What was it you told me? Was it "Don't worry" or was it "Trust me"? In either case, I should have been worried and I should NOT have trusted you! Between you and Johnny, I can't even..."

"Ooooohhh…" Vanessa drawled, interrupting. "There's my boyfriend," she said dreamily, looking at a college picture of Callie and Johnny.

Joe raised a brow. "Van, I like the guy and all, but you're laying it on pretty thick with him," he pointed out.

"I know, babe," she said to him. "And you know I love you and can't wait to get married, but seriously- he's smoking hot. And he's famous now…" She smiled at the thought.

Callie smiled affectionately at the picture. "I'm so happy for him," she replied. "He just got nominated for a SAG award."

"No way!" Vanessa cooed, and even Joe and Frank looked impressed.

"Really?" Joe asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "It just happened early this afternoon. He called me to wish me and Frank a Happy Anniversary and he let it slip. He worked really hard to get where he is. He's an amazing person and he's always looked out for me. I've been lucky to have some great people in my life who do that." She squeezed Frank's hand and gave Joe a subtle smile.

"How did you guys become BFFs?" Van asked. "You never did tell me that story in full."

Callie met Frank's eyes and smiled softly at him as she felt him gently running his fingers through the back of her hair. Slowly, she turned to Vanessa. "It's a really long story, and some of it's not exactly what I want to remember-not tonight. I'll tell you the whole thing someday, but he's been my Number 2 guy for a long time."

"Hey," Joe grumbled, but Callie could tell he was only half kidding.

"Number 3, actually, behind Joe, of course," she said lightly, and he looked happier.

"Naturally," he smiled. "Took us awhile to get there, but we did. Want to dance?" he asked her suddenly, and Callie shrugged. "Sure", she answered, as she heard Frank ask for Vanessa to join him on the dance floor as well.

The floor was packed as the band started to play a power ballad from the 80s, and they both smiled at the sheer cheesiness of it. Callie loosely wrapped one arm around Joe's neck while holding his hand with the other, and rested her head on his shoulder as they moved to the music.

"Happy Anniversary, Cal," he said to her as she looked up. "Thanks for making this such a special night for me and Van- even though it's really YOUR day with my brother."

"Thank Frank," she said affectionately. "He planned it all; I just went along for the ride."

Joe smiled at her, his blue eyes twinkling. "I was just thinking," he began, "as we were looking at those pictures… I think you and Frank have lived a lifetime together. That's pretty special. I hope Van and I will be as lucky."

Callie squeezed his hand. "You adore each other. You have your own story; your own 'firsts.' My only advice is to treasure them. Firsts only happen once, after all."

"Good advice," he agreed, still holding her as the song changed. "Did you always know my brother was the one?"

Callie looked down, shyly. "I always hoped," she said, finally. "I've loved him my whole life." She felt the color rush to her cheeks, but Joe didn't tease her; rather, he looked at her tenderly. "That's sweet, sis," he replied. "Yeah, Frank's that kind of person. I couldn't ask for a better brother. Except for, you know- the whole party thing."

Callie smiled against his shoulder. "Joe, shhhh. Let him have his fun. Has he ever let you down? Relax."

"Really?" Joe smiled, and Callie could sense his relief and happiness.

"Then again, he's the boring brother, right? I mean, I could be mistaken..." she teased.

"Okay. I'll leave it alone. For NOW," he added, as they continued to dance.

"It's next week. I'm sure you'll survive. Stay strong, my friend," she replied.

Joe laughed. "Okay. I'll trust you guys. Frank's a dork, but I love him."

"That's the thing," she said at last. "He feels the same way about you. You asked me before if I always knew Frank was the one. Yes- I really did. That's why I knew that to really win his heart, I would have to be okay with you, since he's always been your top supporter and best friend. And I'd have to be more than okay, to be honest. I'd have to really love you like he does, and I do- you know that. We had our own 'firsts' together, too." Suddenly, she felt very emotional. It had been happening a lot this month. She looked away.

She felt Joe stop dancing, and he hugged her tightly. She leaned her head against his chest and wiped back tears.

"Are you crying?" he asked her, concerned.

"I'm fine," she answered, "Really. Just a lot to process, you know?"

"I was gonna say," Joe cut in, "that you're not the one who should be upset. I didn't call _you_ my number 3 girl."

Callie looked up, saw Joe's eyes twinkling, and giggled in spite of herself. She held Joe's hand as they walked back to the table.

The rest of the night was wonderful. Joe and Vanessa were able to talk to her and Frank about their excitement and concerns for the wedding, and it was a lovely way to have spent their anniversary. As the evening drew to a close, right before they were going to leave, Callie watched Joe smile at Vanessa, who reached down and pulled out a gift bag that was beautifully decorated. Apparently, she'd kept it hidden all night.

"For you guys," she said, excited, placing the bag on the table. "Happy Anniversary!"

"You didn't have to get us anything," Callie replied, touched, as she looked at Vanessa and Joe's excited expressions.

"It's your anniversary," Joe answered with a smile. "Sure we did."

Callie motioned for Frank to look into the bag, and, with a shrug, he did. He pulled out a bottle of champagne.

"Well, thanks!" he said with a smile.

"There's more," Joe said, motioning for Frank to hurry up.

Frank reached inside and pulled out an envelope. "Should I open it?" he asked.

"No, Frank. Why don't you just stare at it and hope that through osmosis you'll figure it out?! Open it- yes!" Joe was practically jumping out of his seat.

Frank blushed as Callie and Vanessa laughed, but he opened the envelope. Callie noticed he got quiet all of a sudden.

"What is it?" she asked, as Frank handed it to her.

She felt tears in her eyes again as she heard Joe's voice. "It's a reservation card- for next year- two weeks from today. You spent your first anniversary with us, and we wanted to spend our first one with you. So we're all going back to Bermuda for a week! It'll be a fun family trip. Do you like it?"

Frank smiled and shook his head before getting up and giving Vanessa a hug and kiss and Joe a big hug. "You didn't need to do this, at all," he said at last, trying to control his voice. "And of course- I -we- love it. Thank you. It almost makes me want to do a little more than a winery tour next week...almost..."

Callie followed Frank's lead as she wiped away tears again. "A fun family trip," she whispered to Joe again. "Another first. You have no idea what this means."

"No more crying, Cal," he said softly to her as he hugged her close. "We love you both."

A few moments later, as they bid the younger couple goodbye, she knew the night had been magical... and she hoped the best was yet to come.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was almost midnight when they arrived home. "Fifteen minutes and it won't be our anniversary anymore," Frank noted, sticking out his lower lip in a pout. He undid his tie and took off his jacket, placing them neatly on the arm of the couch. He then leaned back on the couch as well.

"Ah," he sighed in relief. "Next time remind me to pick a less fancy place to go- preferably a jeans and sweatshirt kind of place."

Callie chuckled. "TGI Friday's?"

"Perfect," he replied, reaching out his arms for her. Callie smiled and kicked off her heels, walking to Frank and settling back in his arms.

"You're short without heels," Frank noted nonchalantly as he pulled her close to him.

"You're a hopeless romantic, you know that, babe?" she teased him.

Frank laughed as he closed his eyes.

Callie gazed at him, her emotions all over the place. This was it. This was what she had been waiting for. Suddenly, she felt weak and started trembling a bit, so much so that Frank opened his eyes and looked at her. "You okay?" he asked, hugging her. "You seem shaky."

"I… I need to get your gift. There are only ten minutes left," she stammered.

"We can wait until tom-" he started, but she cut him off.

"No. I'd really like it to be tonight."

"Okay," he answered, still watching her closely, as he released her.

Callie took a deep breath and got the two boxes. She hoped he liked at least one of them. She desperately needed him to.

"Open this one first," she said, and she handed him a small box.

"Wow!" he said as he took off the wrapping paper. "This is great!" She smiled weakly. She had spent months saving to get him the watch he'd been eyeing for a long time. She had to get him a real gift, after all.

"You didn't have to do this, honey," he said, but she could tell he was excited, and that made her happy. "Thank you so much! I love it." He gave her a quick kiss before clasping it on. "This is awesome!"

"Good," she managed. "I knew you liked it, and I liked the symbolism- you know, marking time." She took a deep breath. "There's just… I mean, there's one more thing…" Her voice trailed off.

"Baby, you didn't have to get me anything else," he said, gently.

"Frank," she began, searching for words. She kneeled on the floor in front of him, held his hands, and met his eyes; his beautiful, dark eyes that had captured her soul years ago. "You are the love of my life. The past decade- can you believe it's been ten years already?- has been the best of my life. Thank you for everything you do for me. I… I wouldn't be _me_ , if I didn't have _you."_

He looked her, puzzled.

"I spent the whole day thinking about our story; how we came to be… _us_. And all those pictures reminded me of how blessed we are to have such wonderful friends and family in our lives. But most of all, I kept thinking about how many new things we experienced together, how many first encounters we've had in the past decade. I love our firsts…"

Tears had started to form, and she forced them back. She knew Frank was completely confused.

"Cal?" He began, squeezing her hands. "Wha-"

She released his hand and gave him the last gift.

"Open it," she said, mouth dry.

"Okay-" he began. He took the paper off. "It's… a frame? Uh…"

"Frank!" she sighed, and started laughing through her tears. "Look at the _picture_ in the frame."

Then, she saw that he saw it. She had taken a picture of the test results, a nice little white stick with two pink lines in the window.

His mouth fell open, and he looked at her, his eyes questioning as his face broke into the most beautiful smile she had ever seen. "You're pregnant?" he whispered, voice clipped.

She just nodded, almost weak with relief at his reaction. While they hadn't been trying, they hadn't NOT been trying, either, deciding to leave it up to fate if they would be parents one day. She just hadn't expected that day to come so soon.

He stood up, pulling her up as well. "You're having a baby? We're… we're going to be parents? I'm going to be a daddy?!" His voice was shaking, and she saw the tears in his eyes.

"Yes," she managed, and then broke into a huge smile herself. "Can you believe it?"

He lifted her into his arms and held her tighter than she could remember, and she clung to him, overwhelmed and relieved and full of so much love she thought she would burst. She caught sight of the beautiful roses Frank had brought her tonight, and saw in her mind's eye an image of a shy, handsome boy who had handed a nervous and excited young girl a single rose so many years ago, on their very first date. She fought tears as she buried her face in his neck. How their love, like that rose, had multiplied and bloomed. Life really had come full circle.

When he finally released her, his eyes shone bright with joyful tears.

"I think I know what charm to get next," he choked out, voice thick with emotion. "I love you, sweetheart. I can't believe it- we're having a baby!" He kissed her softly, eyes wide in wonder and disbelief. "Happy Anniversary. This is the most amazing gift ever. I'm gonna be a daddy!" he repeated with a silly grin as he wiped away a lone tear that had escaped.

"I love you too," she whispered. "It's yet another 'first' for us- all _three_ of us, I guess." She patted her still flat stomach, then stopped, overcome with emotion.

"Don't twins run in your family?" he teased her gently, with a small laugh.

She chuckled in spite of herself. "Let's not even think about that. One day - one baby-at a time, _right?!"_

"How long have you-" he began.

"Six weeks," she answered with a smile.

"So... May?" he deduced quickly.

"I... I think so," she managed. "It really will be a first family vacation in Bermuda, huh?" She wiped the back tears that she could no longer hold back. "Wait 'til we tell Joe and Van. They'll be so excited."

"I can't wait," he whispered. "I can't even imagine what the next decade will hold in store for us."

He touched her check tenderly as he gazed intensely into her eyes, and she knew again what an incredible partnership they had; how truly special it was to have her best friend with her forever, truly for better or worse, as it had been since they met. She was so grateful for their life together, for this man who always protected her, had her back, encouraged her, made her laugh, and made her the best version of herself that she could possibly be. Through him, she had another family whom she loved very much, and, with him, they had created their own little family... especially now...

As Callie looked up at him, she was so grateful for all the words that didn't need to be spoken, all the love understood in their silence. He kissed her again before pulling her onto the couch and holding her tightly, and they stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms, well into the next day… when their first steps to the future would begin.


End file.
